Mutya 2015: Locals vs imports

AISLINN Anne Sebastian played a ukulele and won best in talent. Armin Adina

Homegrown bets and overseas-based aspirants shared top honors in a recent special presentation of the 2015 Mutya ng Pilipinas pageant held in the country’s “last frontier,” Palawan.

Laguna lass Leren Mae Bautista bagged best in swimsuit, while Aislinn Anne Sebastian from Southern California snagged best in talent, in contests held at the Sheridan Beach Resort and Spa, the pageant’s official home in Puerto Princesa City, on July 22.

Even the special awards were split between the “local” and “imported” reps.

Bautista was proclaimed Mutya ng Sheridan, while fellow homegrown candidate Julee Ann Marie Bourgoin of Cagayan de Oro City was hailed Mutya ng Rain or Shine Elastomeric Paints.

Doha, Qatar’s Janela Joy Cuaton, who was voted Darling of the Press in an earlier event, bagged both the Mutya ng SkyJet Airlines and Mutya ng Lito Sy Photography (Miss Photogenic) titles.

Since 2000, Mutya ng Pilipinas has been accepting Filipino women who are based abroad.

Mutya ng Pilipinas Inc. president Jacqueline Tan said, “overseas Filipino workers boost our country’s economy. That’s why we are opening our doors to overseas Filipino women.”

For 2014 Mutya ng Pilipinas-Asia Pacific International Eva Psychee Patalinjug, the pageant’s move to accept Filipino women from abroad is a “commendable act.”

“They’re giving these ladies an opportunity to turn their dreams into reality,” the 21-year-old Cebuana told the Inquirer.

Her batch mate Glenifer Perido, who won Miss Metropolitan International in the 2014 Miss Tourism International pageant in Malaysia, said: “I want to thank Mutya ng Pilipinas for recognizing overseas-based candidates. It’s one great way of promoting the Philippines. When these candidates go back to their respective countries, they will tell their relatives and friends how beautiful the Philippines is.”

More challenging

The 25-year-old Kalinga maiden added: “It made the competition extra-special and more challenging. It felt like I was competing in an international pageant with these Filipino beauties from other countries.”

Before Bea Rose Santiago shot to fame as 2013 Miss International, her first foray in contests was the 2011 Mutya ng Pilipinas, where she bagged the Mutya ng Overseas Communities title as a representative of the Filipino community in Canada.

Santiago, who hosted the ceremonies at Sheridan, waxed nostalgic as she shared the stage with current aspirants. “This is one of the best batches [yet]. I probably wouldn’t win if I joined this year,” she said.

The queens will be proclaimed on Aug. 2 at Resorts World Manila’s Newport Performing Arts Theater in Pasay City. There will be a delayed telecast on ABS-CBN at 11 p.m.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer is a media partner of the 2015 Mutya ng Pilipinas.