Yllana Marie Aduana. Image: screengrab from YouTube/Miss Philippines-Earth
MANILA, Philippines — Yllana Marie Aduana from Siniloan, Laguna edged out 28 other aspirants for the Miss Philippines Earth 2023 crown at the culmination of the coronation night held at the Toledo City Sports Center (Megadome) in Toledo City in the Province of Cebu on April 29.
She inherited the title from Jenny Ramp, who finished in the Top 20 of the 2022 Miss Earth pageant, and will represent the Philippines in the international competition in Vietnam later this year.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic started in the first quarter of 2020, this is the first edition that the national pageant was able to gather all delegates in one stage. Unlike other beauty contests that opted to have a pandemic pause, organizer Carousel Productions proceeded with the staging of the 2020, 2021, and 2022 pageants.
The 2020 and 2021 pageants were held virtually, with the earlier screening held in-person when pandemic restrictions were not yet imposed. For the 2022 edition, the organization conducted an in-person competition, but only the Top 20 delegates were invited to take part in it. Virtual preliminary contests were still held that year, with all 34 aspirants participating.
As in its previous editions, this year’s pageant bestowed “elemental” titles to four more queens. Kerri Reilly from Mangatarem, Pangasinan was crowned Miss Philippines Earth-Air, while Jemimah Joy Zabala from Puerto Princesa City was proclaimed as Miss Philippines Earth-Water.
The Miss Philippines-Fire title went to Sha’uri Livori from the Filipino Community in Melbourne, Australia, while Athena Auxillo from Toledo City, Cebu rounded up the winners’ circle as Miss Philippines-Ecotourism.
The Miss Philippines Earth pageant and the counterpart international competition Miss Earth were both established in 2001 to promote environmental awareness. The queens are dubbed as “beauties for a cause” and are expected to take part in projects that help save the planet from degradation.
The Philippines is the most successful country in the Miss Earth pageant with four winners to date—Karla Paula Henry in 2008, Jamie Herrell in 2014, Angelia Ong in 2015, and Karen Ibasco in 2017—with several others finishing as elemental queens.
The last time a Filipino contender finished in the Top 4 was in 2020 when Roxie Baeyens received the Miss Earth Water crown. Aduana will not only try to bring the Philippines back in the final round, but also attempt to score the country’s fifth victory in the trailblazing global tilt.
Those who missed the ceremonies’ livestreaming on the pageant’s official Facebook page and YouTube channel may catch the delayed telecast on A2Z on April 30, at 10 a.m. JMS