It’s a nice feeling: Miss Ilocos Norte is actually from Ilocos Norte

There was joy and madness at the Centennial Arena when the winners were announced. After four years of limbo, Miss Ilocos Norte is back!

The capacity crowd was on fire, with supporters from the province’s 21 municipalities and two cities rooting for their respective candidates. I have not seen an Ilocano crowd—usually hard to please—so vibrant since Daniel Padilla’s mini-concert in the same venue last year.

All the candidates showed their best and glided elegantly on stage. They were trimmed down, with only the fairest surviving, from 23 to twelve, and then five. In the end, Laoag City’s Czarina Marie “Yna” Viloria Adina bagged the title.

The newly crowned queen is a real beauty: flawless, charming, smart, and this is the best part: she is really Ilocana. It is a bonus for me and other proud Laoagueños that she comes from our city.

There was excitement in immense proportions. Maybe we have forgotten how such experience feels? The most anticipated and biggest funded beauty pageant in this part of the universe has been Miss Laoag, but for some reason, and in the guise of internationalization, organizers opened the pageant to everyone, and since then, most Miss Laoag winners are actually not from Laoag. We had a Miss Laoag from La Union in 2012, Miss Laoag from Isabela in 2013, and a Miss Laoag from Baguio this 2014.

Nice feeling

“It’s a nice feeling, noh?” says Mary Jane “Mahjang” Pascual-Leaño, who had practically reigned in all major beauty pageants in Ilocos Norte (except Pasuquin’s Sunflower Gay Festival, of course). As Miss ABC Laoag 1999, Miss Laoag 2000, and Miss Ilocos Norte 2001, Mahjang sure knows how good it feels to be supported by fellow Ilocanos. But it feels even better for me and her other faithful subjects to know that this beauty, over a decade after her reign, continues to serve Ilocandia in every good way, unlike most Miss Laoag candidates, many of whom are professional Bikini Open contestants who hop from one beach, pool, bar, town, and province to the other.

Due to the barrage of comments you, dear karikna, have made on articles I have previously written on this issue, and also on account of my conversations with various stakeholders, I am sure that most Laoagueños really wish that Miss Laoag is from their city. I even say that we have a right not just to request for it, but to demand so, because the city government spends our taxes for the expensive event. In March last year, during the campaign period for the local elections, I personally handed to mayor Chevylle Fariñas a printed copy of comments you left on my blog. I have also talked about this with Miss Laoag production head Randy Leaño and creative consultant Ianree Raquel—both of whom I highly respect and admire on account of their artistic genius—but the former seemed resolute in keeping the pageant open to everyone so long as they meet the physical requirements.

When the finalists were announced towards end of the Miss Laoag search held last February, the crowd was silent, unexcited. There was no loud cheering, no revelry. For how can you honestly root for anyone you don’t really know? How can you lend the distinction of being your city’s muse to some person who will leave a day or two after the pageant and who will only comeback to turn over her crown?

Yna Adina represented Laoag City though she has never donned the crown of Miss Laoag. A tourism graduate of MMSU, she is a real looker. “Artistahin,” is what people say of her. Not only is our new Miss Ilocos Norte beautiful; she is also well-mannered, good-natured, and proudly Ilocano. As pageant winner, Yna is signing a one year contract with the provincial government as ambassadress of goodwill. This means we will be seeing her around for the entire duration of her reign.

Other winners were Maria Khrissa Parado (Dingras), first runner-up; Princess Raihanie Salleh (Bacarra), second runner-up; Sheena Bolaños Dalo (Burgos), third Runner-up; and Lyka Mari Bumanglag (Bangui), fourth Runner-up. Among them, it seems to me that Dalo has the biggest chance to make a name in modeling. I am writing a separate article about this 5’11” stunner from Burgos.

‘Fast paced, finished early’

The audience, both those who trooped to the arena and homebodies who watched the television coverage, were surprised that the pageant ran for only two hours (8:30-10:30 p.m.). This is a breakthrough because other pageants could last five hours and end at near dawn.

It was a breathtaking quickie, indeed. There were no long speeches, no intermission numbers, and, true to the Miss Universe format, only the top five were subjected to the Q&A portion. The board of judges included Miss Tetchie Agbayani, a versatile actress and the first Filipina to pose for Playboy Magazine. She hails from Vintar and Dingras.

Finely crafted videos

Another revelation was the quality of the video presentations that featured each of the top 12 finalists. World-class both in form and content, the video segment showed in amusing ways the real life personas of the candidates. Miss Burgos, who is probably the most economically challenged among the candidates (she had worked as a househelp for years), was humorously shown cleaning up the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, a landmark of her hometown.

The videos, by the way, were prepared by EM Productions. EM stands for the first names of Eric Cayetano and Marianne Pasion, two persons passionate with their work, but not as much as they love each other.

That feeling

It really felt good, dear karikna, to celebrate the beauty and talent that are truly our own. We hope mayor Fariñas felt it, too.