Reigning Miss FIT Philippines Yllana Marie Aduana/ARMIN P. ADINA
MANILA, Philippines — Yllana Marie Aduana captured the Miss FIT (Face, Intelligence, Tone) crown in November 2021, and the beauty queen admits she is overwhelmed with emotions about handing it over to a new winner who will be proclaimed tonight.
“It’s a bit of a mixed feeling, more of a separation anxiety with the crown, I’ve been with the crown for more than a year now,” Aduana told the Inquirer at the sidelines of the presentation of candidates held at Palazzo Verde in Las Piñas City on Jan. 26.
For the pageant’s third installment, which counts as its 2022 edition, 28 aspirants from all over the country will vie for Aduana’s title. “They’re actually very sweet, very determined, very driven. They’re so fun to be with,” she shared.
Organizer ProMedia said the pageant aims to promote wholistic beauty through overall wellness. The company’s CEO, Paul Izon Reyes, said at the press presentation, “we hone you to become fit to be a queen.”
The reigning queen said she hopes the eventual winner will do her best, and to also enjoy the opportunity like she did, “because it will really take her to a level that is beyond one’s wildest dreams.”
Aduana herself embarked on her quest for a Binibining Pilipinas crown while reigning as Miss FIT Philippines. She finished in the Top 12 of the 2022 national pageant, and also received the “Face of Binibini” (Miss Photogenic) award.
She also offered this advice to her eventual successor: “More than the fitness, you have to stay true to your core value and all of your strengths. You have that within you, and you have to amplify that to inspire other people.”
Aduana also said she would love to see the new queen use the crown and her story to empower the community and the country.
The 2022 Miss FIT Philippines coronation night will be held at Palazzo Verde on Jan. 31, at 7 p.m. The winner will receive P200,000 in cash. EDV