Miss Lapu-Lapu crowns 16-yr-old

CEBU, Philippines — Sixteen-year-old Samantha Faye Yapit is Lapu-Lapu City’s newest queen as she bested 15 other ladies in the 17th staging of Miss Lapu-Lapu held Monday evening at the Hoops Dome.

Hosted by Miss Lapu-Lapu 2013 title-holder Masumay Booc and Witchtofen Heinrich, the Miss Lapu-Lapu pageant stepped into a different era with a new chairmanship, a different venue and a vibrant young queen.

Yapit, a grade 11 STEM student from the Science and Technology Education Center (STEC), brought home P50,000 and sponsor prizes.

After the swimsuit, evening gown and preliminary interview segments, the 16 candidates were whittled down to five. For the final question, the top five was asked: Being a future ambassadress of Lapu-Lapu City, how do you exemplify beauty that chronicles history?

Yapit responded: “Beauty that chronicles history perfectly fits what Lapu-Lapu City is all about. The two most significant things that promote and support beauty that chronicles history are first, the historical sights here in Lapu-Lapu City, and second the people living in it, the Oponganon. If ever I will be crowned Miss Lapu-Lapu 2017, I will not only wear the crown on my head, but also in my heart.”

Miss Lapu-Lapu is Yapit’s first legit pageant. Being a rookie in pageantry, Yapit admits she didn’t see the victory coming.

“There is huge pressure for me since this is my first time and I directly jumped into a huge competition,” Yapit said in a post-pageant interview. “But right now, I feel that all of my hard work has paid off and I am so honored. This is not just all about prestige. Throughout the year I still have to fulfill my responsibilities and I am ready to take on the challenge.”

Yapit has big shoes to fill as her predecessor, Miss Lapu-Lapu 2016 and Binibining Cebu 2017 candidate Mary Catherine Codilla, is a founder of the Project Kalipay initiative, a project that aims to help and uplift street children. This isn’t far from Yapit’s advocacy which is to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.

“It is an awful fact that while some of us are busy keeping up with luxuries and innovations, there are still thousands of faceless beggars. All I could wish for is that no one in this world will ever go hungry because of financial deprivation and social depression,” quipped Yapit.

Yapit, who plans to take up any medical-related course, credits her win to the unyielding support of her family and friends who were with her in every step of her Miss Lapu-Lapu journey. Embodying the change in the Miss Lapu-Lapu competition, Yapit advises pageant hopefuls to never give up on their dreams and to continue living for what they think is right.

She also hopes for people to discover that there is more to pageants and being a beauty queen.

“A beauty queen is not just there to wear the crown but she also has roles and responsibilities to fulfill just like being an example, an inspiration and hope to fellow citizens and promoting goodwill and goodness to the city.”

The five-foot-four beauty also has a message to people who try to discredit the uniqueness and strength of  her generation.

“For me, they [older generations] should just accept the differences. Being a millennial, we should be ourselves and continue living with upright morals despite the prevalence of immoral acts,” she said.

Yapit’s court is made up of Filipina-German Madeleine Siewert as first runner-up or Miss Historic Resort City. A psychology major from Cebu Doctors’ University, she was also named Best in Casual Wear, Miss Skin Doctors Facial and Cosmetics, Miss Ever Bilena and Best in Evening Gown. The designer of her gown, Rey Gabriel Gonzaga Congson, was selected Best Designer. Notably, Siewert was likewise hailed as Miss Bulakna 2017, one of the pre-pageant events held at the Island Central Mall Mactan.

Second runner-up or Miss Education is Charmaine Mae Mejares. The 21-year-old industrial engineering major also won Best in Production Number and Best in Talent.

Filipina-American Betty Ompad Davis is the third runner-up or Miss Environment. Also bagging the Miss Kandaya Fitness award, Davis just happens to be in Lapu-Lapu City for a vacation. Talk about getting more than she bargained for.

Rounding out the top five candidates is fourth runner-up or Miss Youth Ambassadress Krystyl Jan Babon. The senior high school student form the University of Cebu Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue Campus was also voted as People’s Choice and Texter’s Choice with 3,200 votes.

Other awardees are 19-year-old Xyrelle Gacuma as Miss Friendship, aviation tourism major at the Philippine State College of Aeronautics Eivie, Cabalhug as Miss Photogenic and 16-year-old Harrah Cruto as Best in Swimsuit.

The panel of judges were composed of Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Marilyn Andales, Mactan Cebu International Airport General Manager Atty. Steve Dicdican, University of Cebu Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue Campus Dean of the College of Hotel and Resort Management Dr. Grayfield Bajao, Edwin Kho, Dr. Michael Vince D. Busa of Skin Doctors Facial and Cosmetic Clinic, Lapu-Lapu City Tourism head Hembler Mendoza, Meriam Accompaniado and Dr. Joel Serad of the University of the Visayas Human Resource and Development Management as chairman of the board.

The pageant, now chaired by Dr. Ronald Ferrer, gave honor to recently retired Department of Education city supervisor Dr. Rodolfo C. Berame who manned the event for 16 years.

The event, which debuted Miss Lapu-Lapu’s theme song titled “Beauty that Chronicles History,”  also featured performances by Kapuso star Benjamin Alves and WCOPA multi-medalist and “Tawag ng Tanghalan” contender Anthony Rosaldo. (FREEMAN)