MANILA, Philippines — Yllana Marie Aduana, the country’s representative in the 2023 Miss Earth pageant, is among the two top vote-getters from Asia and Oceania in the first round of online voting for “Best Bikini,” along with host delegate Do Thi Lan Anh from Vietnam.
The two leaders from each of the four geographical regions from the first round of voting conducted on Facebook have earned the opportunity to get double voting points for a period of 24 hours, between 11 p.m. on Dec. 16 and 11 p.m. on Dec. 17 in Vietnam (Manila is ahead by an hour from Vietnam).
“Continue voting for your favorite delegate for her chance to directly enter the Semi-Finals,” the Miss Earth pageant said on social media. To vote, visit https://www.missearth.1voting.com.
The leaders from Africa were Fifaliana Valisoa from Madagascar and Courtney Jongwe from Zimbabwe, while for the Americas, the top vote-getters were Gretha Matiauda from Paraguay and Jhosskaren Carrizo from Venezuela.
Victoria Lazarova from Bulgaria and Noa Claus from the Netherlands, meanwhile, topped the voting for European delegates.
The 86 delegates participated in the preliminary competition held in the city of Da Lat, the capital of Lam Don Province in southern Vietnam, on Dec. 16. The ladies paraded in swimsuit and in national costume during the event.
Aduana brought “Maria Makiling” to the Miss Earth stage in Vietnam with her national costume inspired by the Philippine mythological deity. Mount Makiling, named after her, is found in the province of Laguna where she is from.
Patrick Isorena designed the costume, with an intricately-detailed golden armor, headpiece, and back ornamentations with dangling crystals. Aduana walked the stage with a rolling skirt designed like a mountain with protruding palm fronds. It also opened at the front, where she stepped out to unfurl pieces of flowy white fabric attached to her waist. For the swimsuit round, she paraded in a crystal-embellished tangerine two-piece string bikini.
Aduana will attempt to become the fifth Filipino woman to be crowned Miss Earth, following Karla Henry in 2008, Jamie Herrell in 2014, Angelia Ong in 2015, and Karen Ibasco in 2017.
Reigning Miss Earth Mina Sue Choi from Korea will crown her successor, who will be chosen at the end of the coronation program at the Van Phuc City development project in Ho Chi Minh City on Dec. 22.