26 February 2019 | Pasay City
Cheers from the Our Lady of Fatima University (OLFU) community reverberated in the Plenary Hall of the Philippine International Convention Center as 48 hopefuls lit up the stage with their charms and wit, in battle for the most coveted titles, Mister and Miss OLFU 2019.
A famed spectacle, the Mister and Miss OLFU pageant searches for the next ambassadors that will champion and uphold the University values. This edition, however, added another quality that would further embolden the impact of these distinctions – a “green” advocacy that would inspire and ripple environmental concern among fellow students, hence the theme, “OLFU Goes Green”.
As onlookers from across the five campuses arrived to lend their bets all-out support, special performances from talented Fatimanian singers front-lined the contest. After enthralling renditions, the countdown to the most-awaited event began – the candidates’ fresh faces greeted everyone on the LED screen and got everyone ready for an extravagant show ahead.
The event began with a bang as the 48 contenders, in their casual wear, showed their catwalk skills to the most popular songs in an impressive opening number; turning it into a competition in itself. Filled with glee, the audience passionately rooted for their candidates; the atmosphere was fiercely competitive but, at the same time, it was also filled with pure energy and excitement. To keep up the momentum, the first set of special awards were then announced. Afterwards, Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Mylene Abad Santos, formally welcomed the attendees into the occasion and emphasized the significance of the year’s environmental purpose.
It was then time for the pageant’s succeeding segments. First off was the swimwear competition, where the aspirants strutted with confidence and smiles bright as the sunshine. It was followed by the illuminating formal wear and long gown competition that radiated class and elegance. These segments, including the opening performance, were crucial in determining the Top 12 Male and Female candidates. Moreover, scores from wear presentations also played a role in selecting the Top 5, along with the scores from the Advocacy Speech portion.
The Top 12 exhibited their public speaking skills and hearts for Mother Nature in the said competition, each highlighting a specific area in environmental responsibility, such as waste segregation, research, and innovation of measures. Many were also able to relate their actions to the programs they are taking up at OLFU; realizing their careers’ potential and key roles in the bigger ecological picture.
After meticulous judging, the Top 5 contenders were then announced, turning the heat up– from this set of qualifiers, the new Mister and Miss OLFU, as well as the runner-ups, were set to emerge. Before that, however, they had to outdo each other by delivering the best answers during the Question and Answer portion— the most nerve-wracking yet weighty decision-maker of the evening. And so they did.
Each gave substantial answers, optimistic of a better, greener environment. Still, only one Mister OLFU and one Miss OLFU had to be crowned. Before the selection, the audience looked back at the wonderful journey of the reigning Mister and Miss OLFU, Engr. Miguel Alexis Maliwat and Allanisse Edangal as they gave their farewell messages.
Then, it was time for the moment of truth – Mister and Miss OLFU 2019 were named. Sam Philip Dulla and Almas Akram Choudhry of the Antipolo Campus emerged as the new titleholders, having embodied the Fatimanian spirit in tackling environmental issues.
To the final question, “If you will win Miss OLFU tonight and hold the title for one year, what can we expect from you as a Go Green advocate?”, Choudhry responded:
“I would like to promote my advocacy which is Green Health as I am a Medical Technology student. Also, I would like to show my fellow Fatimanians how to do CLAYGO, Clean As You Go — we can practice that, even in our school and in the Philippines we can start green in the future.”
On the other hand, Dulla’s winning answer to the question “Why is filling up a reusable bottled water better than buying a bottled water?” was:
“Buying reusable bottled water is better than buying bottled water is because it will save us time, energy and money. Let us always remember, in making decisions, we should always choose to be practical, and always include what will happen in our nature because I believe that being smart for our nature will always be significant.”
Prior to being crowned, the pair were also selected as Best in Formal Wear/Evening Gown.
Other winners and special awardees were as follows:
Mr. OLFU 2019 1st Runner-up: Leopoldo Frias (Antipolo Campus)
Miss OLFU 2019 1st Runner-up: Ashlee Tuason (Antipolo Campus)
Mr. OLFU 2019 2nd Runner-up: John Gil Fernandez (Cabanatuan Campus)
Miss OLFU 2019 2nd Runner-up, Best in Swimwear, and Best in Casual Wear: Allyson Kate Lapuz (Pampanga Campus)
Mr. OLFU 2019 3rd Runner-up: Homer Guiwo (Quezon City Campus)
Miss OLFU 2019 3rd Runner-up: Claire Daffney Fermin (Cabanatuan Campus)
Mr. OLFU 2019 4th Runner-up: Zacharry Gannaban (Antipolo Campus)
Miss OLFU 2019 4th Runner-up: Kimberly Naz (Antipolo Campus)
Best in Casual Wear and Best in Swimwear (Male): Prince Maristela (Antipolo Campus)
Miss Congeniality: Robhelle Mae Gutierrez (Antipolo Campus)
Mr. Congeniality: John Berlyn Tarrayo (Antipolo Campus)
Miss Photogenic: Phoebe Kates Sabile (Pampanga Campus)
Mr. Photogenic: Marc Joseph Liwaya (Quezon City Campus)
