Who will wear the Miss Iloilo Dinagyang crown?

By: Emme Rose Santiagudo

ONLY 22 days left and a new Ilongga will soon be crowned Miss Iloilo Dinagyang 2019.

The pageant, which is one of the most anticipated events in the 51st Dinagyang Festival, will culminate on Jan 25, 2019.

This year, 14 Ilongga hopefuls are eyeing for the prestigious MID 2019 crown.

Each of the 14 aspirants carried the name of districts and municipalities around the province and city of Iloilo: Claire Therese Porras representing Iloilo City, Elaine Segura representing Guimbal, Claudette Del Castillo representing Passi City, Shane Pia representing La Paz West, Sueko Kinjho, representing Jaro West, Beatrice Nicole Arabia, representing Mandurriao, Sharon Idone, representing Arevalo, Maria Mikhaella Incensario representing Miag-ao, Berylane Joy Barredo representing Molo, Maria Cielito Corazon Abendon representing La Paz Central, Janeen Dale Geroso representing Jaro North, Charlotte Mananquil representing Zarraga, Vina Marie Peña representing Oton and Angelic Olmedo representing Leganes.

With only a few weeks left before the grand pageant night, a series of preliminary activities were held to determine the first batch of winners.

On Dec 10, 2018, MID 2019 Swimwear preliminaries kicked off at Richmonde Hotel Iloilo with

Elaine Segura of Guimbal won the Miss Physique plum, alongside Sharone Idone of Arevalo who was named Miss Swimwear Model and Maria Cielito Corazon Abendan of La Paz Central who was awarded Miss Pristine Beauty.

Four winners were also adjudged during the preliminary Q and A preliminary competition on December 16, 2018 at Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo.

They are Claudette del Castillo of Passi City (Advocacy Princess) and Maria Mikhaella Incensario of Miagao (Q and A Princess).

Elaine Segura bagged the Press and Media Princess title while Berylane Joy Barredo of Molo won the Style Princess plum.

More awards were given to given to the princesses during the lifestyle fashion show of MID 2019 at SM City Iloilo South Point on December 19.

Berylane Joy Barredo was adjudged as Beauty and Talent Princess while Charlotte Mananquil, representing Zarraga was named as Inspirational Princess.

Meanwhile, Vina Marie Soriano Peña representing Oton was also hailed as the Princess of Beauty and Heart.

For the Travel and Holiday Princess category, the candidates were divided into three groups and three winners were awarded per category.

Sueko Laoso Kinjho of Iloilo City Proper, Beatrice Arabia of Mandurriao, and Angelic Olmedo of Leganes were hailed Travel Princesses while Sharon Idone, Claire Therese Porras of Iloilo City Proper, and Trisha Jane Quingking of Estancia were named Holiday Princesses.

Ilonggo international lifestyle designer PJ Arañador, MID 2019 chairperson, described the upcoming event as the grandest red-carpet beauty pageant that will feature Iloilo’s culture and history of heritage fashion.

“The show will feature Iloilo’s history of heritage fashion by top Ilonggo designers and heirloom food in contemporary sensibilities by Iloilo’s top chefs and food stylists including leading international Ilonggo performing artists in music, dance, visual arts and theatre,” he said in his Facebook post.

Earlier, Arañador said that he will be offering the Dinagyang public a new and rebranded MID 2019 that will bring back the grandeur of the illustrious heritage of Iloilo City.

“Rebranding is to refresh it, making it distinct especially on the identity of Iloilo, who we are, where are we coming from and where we are going. We want to go back to our culture. It is our responsibility to share to the young people the wealthy cultural heritage of Iloilo,” he said.

He added that the upcoming pageant will attempt to recreate the 1920’s grand carnival fiesta of Jaro, Iloilo which was one of the country’s grandest fiestas in pomp and pageantry.

With four titles at stake – Miss Iloilo Dinagyang Carnival Queen, MID Tourism, MID Industry, MID Environment, and MID Culture – the pageant will be staged for the first time at Casa de Emperador and will be covered via live streaming using live helicams for pageant enthusiasts all over the world.