Mutya beauties head to Palawan

BY NICKIE WANG/ MANILA STANDARD TODAY

Most women who join beauty contests put on the prettiest smiles whenever they face the camera. A candidate must look perfect whenever there’s a lens trained on her way. She should keep her hair in place that no single strand will be out of place. Her skin must always look healthy and stretch-mark-free with a little help from dermatologists. She must not eat too much so it won’t be hard when she sucks in her stomach when she is wearing a pair of bikini.

It’s really hard to be a beauty queen or even just a contestant of a beauty pageant, but for 24 young women vying for the title Mutya ng Pilipinas 2008, making themselves neat and prim are the basic musts to create a good impression. After all, being in beauty contest is all about making good first impressions, which a contestant will carry until the final night and perhaps to the time when she is finally crowned.

On Dec. 7, the 24 ladies will make the city of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, a place to spot the countries’ new bevy of beauty queen wannabes. Puerto Princesa, dubbed as ‘‘an amazing city in a forest,’’ will host the 40th edition of the pageant that paved the way to beauty titlists like Michelle Aldana, Mutya Crisostomo, Lorraine Shuck, Tetchie Agbayani, Rio Diaz among many others.

On a steamy afternoon at the Garden Terraces Hotel along Commonwealth Avenue, 24 young women sashayed in a red bikini heralding Mutya’s pre-pageant ceremony.

This year’s finalists are: Katrina Rigets (23 years old), Jessica Paciente, (17), Frances Urrutia, (19) and Riza Selva (19) from Quezon City, Loren Andre Fermin Burgos (21) from California, USA, Karen O’Hara (22) from Antipolo City, Cresta Medez (19) from Palawan, Pia Burgos (19) from Norway, Arline Nicolas (22) from Laguna, Lizl Rosoles (18), Maria Rebeta (18), Sarah Syed (19), and Kathleen Jebulan (23) from Bicol Region, Angelica Damian (22), Venice Acuna, (18) and Laica Jimenez (19) from Bulacan, Rhea Niones (23) from South Cotabato, Ellaine Esteban (21) from Marikina City, Queency Benaldez, (18) from Southern Leyte, Jonavi Quiray (21) from Palawan, Jamie Jean “Jam” de la Rosa (23) from Tarlac, Nadia Hollaway (20) from Australia, Jam Libatong (21) from Cebu City, and Nerissa Dimaculangan (20) from Batangas.

These beautiful stunning contestants will vie for the titles Mutya ng Pilipinas-International, Mutya ng Pilipinas-Tourism Puerto Princesa and Mutya ng Pilipinas-Overseas Communities. Major titlists will be sent to international beauty pageants like Miss Asia Pacific-International, Miss Tourism International, Tourism Queen of the Year, and Miss Intercontinental.

The Mutya ng Pilipinas-International and Mutya ng Pilipinas-Tourism Puerto Princesa stand to win P200,000 cash each, while Mutya ng Pilipinas-Overseas Communities will receive $2,000. P50,000 each will be given to the two runners-up.

One of the radical changes made by the Mutya organizers is staging the pre-pageant and the coronation night outside Metro Manila. Last year, it was held in Olongapo.

The Mutya ng Pilipinas Organization promotes “Beauty Tourism” within the greater Asia-Pacific with the direct participation of the overseas Filipino communities, this being a distinct component of its National Pageant Event.

As the third most important beauty pageant in the land, after Binibining Pilipinas and Miss Philippines-Earth, Mutya ng Pilipinas expands its advocacy by promoting tourism and the environment. It engages itself in endorsing the Philippines as a major and revered tourism destination while redefining Filipino women as beauties with social conscience.

The organization is chiefly headed by its president Roberto de Venecia, supported by the other board of directors, namely, Alfonso Lim Jr., Lauro Amante, director Leandro Enriquez, and Ramona Ty. This year’s pageant is generously supported by Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn.

Mutya beauties will visit the Palawan Subterranean River to advance its campaign as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. The national park currently ranks no. 1 on the online voting on the New 7 Wonders of the World Web site. Chocolate Hills of Bohol, Tubbataha Reefs, and Mayon Volcano of Albay are also among the top contenders in the online poll.