By Cheryl Sevegan
“Beauty pageant for a good cause” is also the aim of Miss Earth. It is an annual international beauty pageant promoting environmental awareness. Along with its rivals Miss Universe and Miss World contests, Miss Earth is one of the three biggest beauty pageants in the world in terms of the number of national-level competitions to participate in the world finals and one of the most publicized beauty contests in the world.
The reigning titleholders dedicate a year to promote specific projects and often address issues concerning global issues pertaining to the environment through school tours, tree planting activities, street campaigns, coastal clean ups, speaking engagements, shopping mall tours, media guesting, environmental fair, storytelling programs, eco-fashion shows and other environmental activities.
The Miss Earth winner is the spokesperson for the Miss Earth Foundation and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and other environmental organizations. The Miss Earth Foundation also works with the environmental departments and ministries of participating countries, various private sectors and corporations as well as Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF).
Miss Earth is part of the Big Four International beauty pageants. The Big Four compose the group of the four largest and most famous/prestigious female international beauty pageants namely: Miss World (founded in 1951), Miss Universe (1952), Miss International (1960) and Miss Earth (2001).
Ms. Karla Paula Henry is the first Filipina to win the title Miss Earth in the year 2008 on the 8th edition of Miss Earth pageant. It was held on November 9, 2008 at the Clark Expo Amphitheater in Angeles City, Pampanga, Philippines. 85 delegates representing their own respective countries competed for the crown.
Asked by a judge during the Q & A portion, “If you have the chance to speak to the newly elected US President Barack Obama about the state of the global environment, what would you tell him?”, she wittingly replied, “What I would tell to the newly elected President of the United States, being one of the most powerful countries in the world, I would encourage him to implement environmental knowledge in the curriculum of all schools whether in the United States or in the Philippines. Environmental knowledge is something all of us must share, but most importantly we must teach the youth that this is something that we should instill in them so that in the new future they will be the ones to take care of mother Earth.”
The current Miss Earth titleholder is Alyz Henrich from Venezuela who was crowned on December 7, 2013 in Muntinlupa City, Philippines.
The list of recent Miss Earth winners:
2013 Alyz Henrich – Venezuela
2012 Tereza Fajksova – Czech Republic
2011 Olga Alava – Ecuador
2010 Nicole Faria – India
2009 Larissa Ramos – Brazil
2008 Karla Henry – Philippines
2007 Jessica Trisko – Canada
2006 Hil Hernandez – Chile
2005 Alexandra Braun – Venezuela
2004 Priscilla Meirelles – Brazil
Miss Earth Philippines 2014 Search
With 49 beauteous candidates vying for the local Miss Earth crown, the competition became one of the hotly contested beauty contests in recent years. Some of them were veterans of previous beauty contests like Miss Bianca Paz and Dianne Querrer, but the scuttlebutt amongst the jurors and beauty enthusiasts was that the girl wearing the Cebu City sash is the girl to beat in the competition.
Not surprisingly, she ran off with the crown together with other awards such as Miss Solaire, Best in Swimsuit and Best in Cultural Attire. Jamie’s paper plate party dress also placed 2nd in the Trash-to-Class Fashion show challenge event.
Herself a veteran of lesser-known local pageants, Jamie possesses a gorgeous face with a well-toned body. She is like a raw diamond ready to be polished, unlike her more seasoned rivals. This is why many think Bianca Paz, representing Gapan, lost to Jamie and only placed 4th – because she was just too polished for a panel of judges searching for someone closer to a “diamond-in-the-rough,” so to say.
Jamie wore a solid coral pink gown with a fuzzy heart-like design on the chest, reflecting her youthfulness and vibrancy as a teenager. She walked elegantly like a debutante, even catching the crowd’s attention in her swimsuit catwalk, no wonder she won the segment’s Best in Swimwear contest.
The biggest competition didn’t come from Miss Paz but from Diane Querrer, Tanauan, Batangas’ representative, herself a repeater in the said pageant who competed back in 2011. As if some sort of vindication, she landed 2nd behind Jamie, being disqualified from Bb. Pilipinas when she joined the contest previously due to height issues.
This year’s Miss Earth Philippines pageant was held on May 11, 2014 at the Mall of Asia Arena with Miss Philippines Earth 2013 and Miss Earth 2013 top 8 finalist Angelee Claudett delos Reyes crowning her successor, Miss Philippines Earth 2014 Jamie Herrell of Cebu City.
Out of 49 candidates vying for the title, the nineteen-year-old lass from Cebu who stands at 5′ 7″ oozed with confidence as she bagged home the title. She was Miss Aliwan 2013 and Sinulog Festival Queen 2013.
Also a native of Masbate, Jamie became the second Cebuana to capture the Miss Philippines Earth crown first won by Karla Henry, who was also crowned Miss Earth 2008.
In the Q & A segment, she was asked by one of the judges, politician Ms. Riza Hontiveros, “Mother Earth is like our mother so we celebrate her also today, Mother’s Day. Do you think Ms. Cebu, that we human beings have been good children to Mother Earth or not? Why or why not?”
Confidently Jamie answered, “Honestly in my opinion, we haven’t been good children. In fact I believe that we are the number one cause of her problem, we are the reason why we’re having climate change. We are the reason why we are having floods. But in return if we can only help her and save her, she will help us back and take care of us too.”
The complete list of winners:
Miss Philippines Earth 2014: Ms Cebu City’s Jamie Herrell
Miss Philippines Earth Air 2014: Air: Tanauan City’s Diane Querer
Miss Philippines Earth Water 2014: Dumaguete City’s Kimberly Covert
Miss Philippines Earth Fire 2014: Ms Gapan Bianca Paz
Miss Philippines Earth Eco Tourism 2014: Dinalupihan, Bataan’s Monique Manuel
Special awards:
From Trash to Class Challenge Awardee - Diane Carmela Querrer, Tanauan City, Batangas
Best in Swimsuit – Jamie Herrell, Cebu City
Best in Evening Gown - Joselle Mariano, Trece Martires, Cavite
Miss Photogenic – Kaycie Lyn Fajardo, Agoncillo, Batangas
Best in Cultural Attire - Jamie Herrell, Cebu City
Miss Talent - Roanne Refrea, Cabuyao City, Laguna
Other major awards:
Miss Solaire - Jaimie Herrell, Cebu City
Miss SM Markets – Kimberly Covert, Dumaguete City
Miss Hana - Janelle Tee, Davao City, Davao Del Sur
Miss Maynilad - Roanne Refrea, Cabuyao City, Laguna
Among the judges were actor Christopher de Leon, TV Host Paolo Abrea, Jasper Evangelista, Marlon Stockinger, Michael Seifert, founder of Talent Man, actress Cherie Gil, politician Risa Hontiveros, Lorraine Schuck and Ramon Monzon.
The Miss Philippines Earth titleholders:
2014: Jamie Herrell
2013: Angelee Claudett delos Reyes
2012: Stephany Dianne Stefanowitz
2011: Athena Mae Imperial
2010: Kris Psyche Resus
2009: Sandra Inez Seifert
2008: Karla Paula Henry (Miss Earth Winner)
2007: Jeanne Harn
2006: Catherine Untalan
2005: Genebelle Raagas
2004: Tamera Marie Szijarto
2003: Laura Marie Dunlap
2002: April Ross Perez
2001: Carlene Aguilar
Because many people admire and aspire to be a beauty queen, Carousel Productions, Inc. believes beauty queens would be a good and effective advocate of worthy causes. To give life to this vision, Carousel Productions Inc. organized and launched in 2001 the MISS PHILIPPINES-EARTH Beauty Pageant, a beauty event whose raison d’etre was to have its candidates and winners actively promote and get involved in the preservation of the environment and the protection of Mother Earth.
Together with the Miss Earth Foundation, MISS PHILIPPINES-EARTH aims to give a strong emphasis on environmental awareness programs.
The winner of MISS PHILIPPINES-EARTH will serve as the Ambassador to environmental protection campaigns in the country, and represent the Philippines to one of the biggest international beauty competitions – the MISS EARTH Pageant.
Photo credits: www.fabphilippines.blogspot.com