New Miss RP tilt bats for education and tourism

New Miss RP tilt bats for education and tourism
By JAY PATAO
Photos by Lito Caleon
THE newly-rebranded Miss Republic of the Philippines Pageant, revived after 39 years, presented its 34 contestants – all advocates for education – to members of media at the Astoria Plaza in Pasig City last Friday before they plunge into rehearsals for the grand coronation night on Wednesday, November 4 at The Theatre of Solaire in Parañaque City.

Miss Republic of the Philippines Organization CEO Lynette Padolina stressed that, aside from the traditional criteria for beauty of face and figure, “contestants will be judged for their attitude, intelligence and chosen platforms.”
“While the old Miss RP pageant selected winners for the Miss World Pageant, the new Miss Republic of the Philippines is, first and foremost, a scholarship pageant where the winners are granted free full college courses (Tourism, Hotel and Restaurant Management and other related courses), or a master’s degree course if she happens to be a degree holder already,” Padolina explained.

The contestants come from all over the Philippines, as well as from selected Filipino communities from Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Italy and the United Kingdom, and will vie for two major titles: Miss Republic of the Philippines 2015 and Miss Republic of the Philippines-International 2015. There will also be three runners-up of equal ranking: Miss Luzon, Miss Visayas and Miss Mindanao.

The winners will be crowned at the finals by Ms. Josephine “Joy” Salazar Conde, the last woman to hold the title of Miss Republic of the Philippines (1976-77). The winners will wear golden crowns and regalia embellished with rubies, sapphires, lapis lazuli and pearls designed by Mila Imson of KitSilver Jewelry and crafted by a deaf craftsman from Meycauayan, Bulacan.
During their reign, the winners will travel all over the Philippines to promote the country’s positive image and progress, and will reach out to global Filipino communities in order to provide a common venue to unite and exchange opportunities through education and career advancement.