In Focus: Binibining--Sogod

CEBU, Philippines — When Jalane was hailed Miss Sogod Tourism 2016, it didn’t occur to her that she might be representing the town of Sogod in a province-wide pageant.

One of the youngest in the competition at 18, Jalane is currently studying IT despite dreaming of pursuing accountancy when she was younger.

A bookworm, and now a student leader, Jalane passed the DOST qualifying examination and was granted a scholarship. But it only covered science and technology courses. She opted to take up IT, specializing in mobile applications. The more she immersed herself in the field, Jalane learned to love her choice, and is proud of what she is training to become.

“There is no gender in IT in the same way there’s no gender in medicine, law, engineering, and all other careers,” Jalane begins, saying that she knows a lot of lady programmers who excel in what they do, women who put as much and even more passion, effort, time, and utilization of skills like other guy programmers.

Other than advocating for Cebu tourism, Jalane also hopes to be a champion of self-love.

“I stand alongside Miss Universe Canada 2016 Siera Bearchell with her advocacy on self-image, self-work, self-love, self-worth, and helping women with their confidence. We live in a world that points out our flaws and insecurities which is why being confident with who and what you are is so important. Our worth as a woman is not measured by the digits in a weighing scale or how thick or lean we are, rather it is on how we treat others and the substance in our hearts that we radiate through our actions.”

Jalane loves reading Dan Brown’s books, enjoys fulfilling her duties as a student leader, and is a huge fan of Kpop artists under YG Entertainment. She acknowledges that she is young and has a long way to go but urges that she and a lot of people her age can make a difference.

Jalane states that despite being a small, unassuming town, Sogod is a complete package.

“It is very tranquil. Sogod is blessed with wonderful landscapes, fit for those who love to hike and be with nature and mesmerizing beaches for those who love the sun and sand. Sogod also offers local agricultural produce, cuisine and delicacies. But above all, the core of Sogod lies beyond its surface; the heart of the Sogoranons. People in Sogod are very fun and accommodating. They are very proud and they always celebrate Sogod’s history and culture. They go along with modernization but at the same time give emphasis on the preservation of a proud history. And that, for me is the reason why tourists should come to Sogod. It is very humble yet it has so much to offer and it is just waiting to be recognized.” (FREEMAN)