Another Albay beauty Queen Crowned Miss Tourism World Philippines 2012

ANOTHER ALBAY BEAUTY QUEEN CROWNED MISS TOURISM WORLD PHILIPPINES 2012

Another beauty queen from Albay bags the the first-ever Miss Tourism World Philippines 2012 in colorful and glittering rites held at the AFP Theater in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, on November 11, 2012.

Meryl Angeline King, 23 year old nurse from a Bicol town, will represent the country at the forthcoming Miss Tourism World Finals to be held in Bangkok, Thailand on December 15. She is also the reigning 2012 Ms. Pulang-Angui of the Municipality of Polangui and Ms. Tabak of Tabaco City, all in the Province of Albay. “We are very excited for our first winner of Miss Tourism World Philippines, not only does she posses the elegant and beauty of a true Filipina, but she also personify the charm and warmth of our motherland, a real Ambassador of Philippine Tourism.” Says Mr. Francisco “Gareth” Blanco Jr. the National Director and Philippine Franchise holder of Miss Tourism World Pageant. 

Ms. King is a product of the Albay Pageant Academy. In an interview with Albay Governor Joey Salceda, “the Province of Albay is the first ever in the country to have formally launched the Albay Pageant Academy which is a conscious effort to develop local pageant winners make it big in national and international competitions”. The Pageant Academy is headed by Board Member Glenda Ong Bongao, as its Executive Director. “The Albay pageant academy will bank on a person’s beauty as accentuated with a Happy Disposition and a contented spirit and that I think is the real Albayana beauty”, Board Member Bongao said. 

Gov. Salceda is a staunched supporter of Bicolana beauty queens in international competitions and was instrumental in the victory of Dianne Samar Necio, 2010 Binibining Pilipinas-International in the People’s Choice / Miss Internet Awards in the 51st Miss International Pageant in Chengdu, China.

Albay is said to be the Venezuela of the Philippines, having produced 37 regional, national and international beauty queens since 1980 with the entry of Ms. Agapita Sigue of Legazpi City as Ms. Philippine National Red Feather 1980. Topping the list of Albay beauty queens, to name a few, are Miriam Quiambao of Bacacay , 1st Runner-Up Ms. Universe 1999, Precious Lara Quigaman of Ligao City, Ms. International 2005, Melody Gersbach of Daraga, Bb. Pilipinas - International 2009, Diane Necio of Polangui, Bb. Pilipinas International 2011, Jane Bañares , Mutya ng Pilipinas 2009 and Venus Raj, Ms. Universe 2010 4th runner, who studied in Bicol University and served as spokesperson for the Center for Initiatives and Researches on Climate Adaptation (CIRCA), an office under the Office of the Governor.

In a separate interview with a contestant, it was observed that all beauty contestants dream of winning the different beauty contests in the province because they not only offer a big financial stake to winners with at least 200k-P300k cash reward, it carries with other privileges, scholarship and gifts from pageant sponsors, and most importantly, the opportunity to be part of the prestigious list of beauty queens and the different exposure the Province is committed to share . “The yearly Ms. Magayon, the provincial beauty pageant, offers an outright cash gift of P300k, though amount increases every year, is given on the day of the coronation, no installment”, as emphasized by Ms. Dorothy Colle, the Provincial Tourism Head.

Photos by Jhoezen B. Perez

Text by Vince Baltazar