Hiyas ng Pilipinas pageant turns over cash prizes to winners day after the coronation

Hiyas ng Pilipinas Chair Mike Sordilla (third from right) hands out the cash prizes to some of the award recipients (from right) Staffany Bazaar from Alabel, Trishia Libres from Bohol, Fatima Kate Bisan from Sarangani, and Juvyel Saluta from Manila, with communications director Bryan Tarosa./ARMIN P. ADINA

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The winners, special award recipients, and even the non-winning delegates of the 2023 Hiyas ng Pilipinas pageant became richer after the competition, not just because of the experience they had and the wisdom they gained, but also because of the prize money they immediately received.

There have been many instances when pageant winners have complained about not receiving the prizes they have been promised, and the Hiyas ng Pilipinas Foundation Inc. made sure it will not happen to the ladies who took part in the national pageant’s second edition that culminated in a grand coronation show at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino on Nov. 11.

At the victory party held at Club Tipsy in Mandaue City the night after the coronation, pageant Chair Mike Sordilla led the awarding of prizes to the top winners and special award recipients. “Hindi ito guni-guni (this isn’t a figment of your imagination),” he said, alluding to other pageants who fail to honor their commitment to the winners.

Sordilla also made sure all special awards, even those handed out by sponsors, came with cash prizes. He told INQUIRER.net that the pageant did not accept material gifts and services as prizes from corporate partners, and required them to grant monetary prizes. A total of P235,000 was at stake just for the special awards.

Sarangani’s Fatima Kate Bisan, who captured the top title Hiyas ng Pilipinas-Tourism World, also took home the biggest amount by receiving the most special awards. She bagged P40,000 for Best in National Costume, P15,000 as Miss Photogenic, and P10,000 each as Hiyas ng Golden Sands Destination Resorts, Hiyas ng Brightline Development Services, and Hiyas ng Iconique Mall, for a total of P85,000.

The amount was on top of her prize as the evening’s main winner, with the package amounting to over P1.5 million. Part of her cash prize as Hiyas ng Pilipinas-Tourism World was also handed over during the victory party. She also took home an iPhone 14 Promax 1TB and P500,000 worth of jewelry from Gold Crafts.

Bohol’s Trishia Marie Libres, who finished in the Top 10, became P55,000 richer after the competition. She got P20,000 for being the Best in Gown, P15,000 as Top Box Achiever, and P10,000 each as Hiyas ng Club Tipsy and Hiyas ng Gold Crafts.

Juvyel Saluta from Manila, who took home P1 million worth of prizes as Hiyas ng Pilipinas-Continental World, also received P15,000 for being the Best in Swimsuit, and P10,000 as Hiyas ng Don Macchiatos.

Top 10 finisher Ronae Jane Tamares from Tuburan, Cebu, received P30,000 for Best in Tourism Video, while Tarah Limjap from Koronadal City got P15,000 as Innocentrix Philippines Voters’ Choice, on top of her P300,000 prize package as first runner-up.

Suchi Kaye Lim from Balayan, Batangas, was voted by her fellow delegates as Miss Congeniality and became P15,000 richer, while Top 10 finisher Steffany Bazaar from Alabel, Sarangani, got P10,000 as Hiyas ng Syjueco Aesthetics.

Hiyas ng Pilipinas-Omninational Jackelaine Fleming from Talisay City, Cebu, also received part of her P500,000 prize package. Vanessa Baraquio from Pangasinan, meanwhile, received a prize package worth P200,000 as second runner-up.

Sordilla concluded the awarding of prizes with the distribution of P5,000 each to the 38 delegates who were not part of the final five. He had earlier announced that all the three queens and the two runners-up will also each receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Hong Kong courtesy of the Maybelle Padillo Group Brands.