The beauty pageant season tends
to start sometime in the middle of the year, the better to send the winners to
the international competitions which usually happen at year’s end. That is why
contests for Philippine beauty queens to represent in the likes of Miss
Universe and Miss Earth would fall around midyear for convenience. Then again,
with the COVID-19 global pandemic such plans for a grand coronation evening are
foiled. Alternative means of deciding winners would have to be taken, such as
the 2020 Miss Philippines Earth pageant just this past Sunday which held the main
competition proper online.
Airing on GMA7 in the morning of
July 5, the Miss Philippines Earth beauty pageant this year was markedly
different from how things were done in the past. That is because, as The Philippine Star reports, the
competition was completely virtual, with pageant organizers, presenter Paolo
Bediones, judges, and the contestants themselves utilizing virtual meeting
platform Zoom to assemble online from their respective hometowns and provinces
so that the crown and the duty to compete for Miss Earth could be decided.
Ultimately it was Baguio City artist Roxanne Allison Baeyens, 23 years old, who
stood out the best from the pool of 33 pageant hopefuls.
Ahead of the virtual coronation
program, online pre-pageant activities were made available to social media
audiences with the posting of clothing competition segments via Zoom on
Facebook Live. Aside from the expected beachwear and long gown contests, there
were also tilts for cultural, casual, sports, and “COVID Craze” outfits. The
talent portion consisted of competitions for song, dance and creative arts.
There were also awards from the pageant sponsors, particularly shampoo brand
HANA. Aside from receiving the Miss Philippines Earth crown from 2019 winner
Janelle Lazo Tee (Miss Earth 2019 Top 20), Baeyens also won Best Eco-Video,
COVID Craze, Beachwear (bronze), along with special awards “Darling of the
Press” and joining the 10 HANA Beauties.
For the Question and Answer
portion, video clips of questions from the pageant judges, including two titleholders
from Miss Earth and one from Miss World, the top contestants were queried on
topics regarding the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the world. Roxanne Baeyens
answered the first question, about her opinion on social distancing, by
pointing out its necessity so that people can resume livelihoods without being
forced to confinement by tougher quarantine measures. The final question, about
the best quality for a leader in a pandemic, had Baeyens answering that they
must “display a green thumb” to maintain a steady food supply.
The Miss Earth 2020 pageant will
be held in December 2020. No details were given regarding the venue, or whether
it will be a live pageant or another virtual competition.
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