Miss Earth 2023 is Drita Ziri from Albania

Newly-crowned Miss Earth Drita Ziri from Albanka (second from left) with her ‘elemental queens’ (from left) Thailand’s Cora Bliault, the Philippines’ Yllana Marie Aduana, and Vietnam’s Do Thi Lan Ahn/ARMIN P. ADINA

HO CHI MINH, Vietnam — A new eco warrior has been proclaimed, and she is Drita Ziri from Albania who was proclaimed Miss Earth 2023 at the conclusion of the pageant’s month-long 23rd edition in this city on Dec. 22.

Drita Ziri bested 84 other delegates from all over the world in ceremonies held at the Van Phuc City development project in Ho Chi Minh City and received her crown from last year’s winner Mina Sue Choi amid a spectacular onstage fireworks show.

The new queen will serve as an ambassador for environmental protection, and lead projects that help spread awareness about sustainability and eco-consciousness. The pageant’s winners and contestants are dubbed as “beauties for a cause” and are expected to work on programs that aim to improve the planet’s condition.

The pageant also bestowed “elemental titles” to three more ladies. Miss Earth-Air is Yllana Marie Aduana from the Philippines, Miss Earth-Water is Do Thi Lan Ahn from Vietnam, and Miss Earth-Fire is Cora Bliault from Thailand.

Aduana is a medical laboratory scientist who convincingly won the Miss Philippines Earth title on her second attempt at the national pageant held in Toledo City, Cebu, in April. She first competed in 2021 where she finished as a runner-up.

She was also crowned as Miss FIT (Face, Intelligence, Tone) Philippines in 2021, and joined the 2022 Binibining Pilipinas pageant where she finished in the Top 12 and received the “Face of Binibini” award.

This is the second time for Vietnam to host the Manila-based Miss Earth pageant. It first welcomed the international competition in 2010, with the contest staged in Na Trang, south of the country. The Southeast Asian nation is only one of two countries outside the Philippines where the contest has been held. Austria is the other one, where the 2015 edition was mounted.

Four Filipino women have won in the Miss Earth pageant before — Karla Henry in 2008, Jamie Herrell in 2014, Angelia Ong in 2015, and Karen Ibasco in 2017.