Yllana Aduana brings Philippines’ Miss Earth total title haul to 10

Newly-crowned Miss Earth-Air Yllana Marie Aduana from the Philippines/ARMIN P. ADINA

HO CHI MINH, Vietnam — Yllana Marie Aduana may not have been crowned as Miss Earth 2023, but her proclamation as Miss Earth-Air has given the Philippines its 10th title in the Manila-based international competition.

Aside from the main Miss Earth winner, the pageant also proclaims “elemental queens” that receive their own titles—Miss Earth-Air, Miss Earth-Water, and Miss Earth-Fire.

Aduana received her elemental title at the culmination of the 2023 Miss Earth pageant held at the Van Phuc City Water Music Square in Ho Chi Minh City on Dec. 22. The top prize went to Drita Ziri, the first Albanian woman to win the top prize.

Four Filipino women have captured the main title as Miss Earth, with Karla Henry becoming the first one to earn the crown in 2008. This was followed by the back-to-back finishes of Jamie Herrell and Angelia Ong in 2014 and 2015, respectively, and Karen Ibasco’s triumph in 2017.

Aside from Aduana, two more delegates from the Philippines were proclaimed Miss Earth-Air, Eurasian contenders Sandra Seifert and Stephany Stefanowitz in 2009 and 2012, respectively.

Three more Filipino women, meanwhile, were proclaimed as Miss Earth-Water, including Catherine Untalan who became the first-ever delegate from the Philippines to score an elemental crown in 2006. She was followed by her fellow University of the Philippines Diliman honor graduate Athena Imperial in 2011, and “Kapuso” actress Roxie Baeyens in 2020.

From among the four crowns awarded in the Miss Earth pageant, the one that remains elusive for Filipino contenders is the Miss Earth-Fire.

The Miss Earth pageant is organized by Carousel Productions to help spread environmental awareness. The winners are dubbed “beauties for a cause” and are expected to spearhead projects that promote sustainability and help protect the planet.