Popularity contest in Pangasinan town helps build major projects

MANILA, Philippines – It’s quite unconventional, really, but in the town of Villasis, Pangasinan, some major infrastructure projects are built through the efforts of overseas Filipino workers who support fund-raising activities.

To name a few, their municipal building, legislative building, police station, street lighting, town gym, park, overpass, among others, that have contributed to the facelifting of the town were built through the Mrs. Villasis popularity contest held in January as part of the town fiesta.

Unlike beauty pageants, the title of Mrs. Villasis goes to a candidate who is able to raise the biggest funds for the town.

“Transparency on how funds were used paved the way for our townmates, especially those working or residing abroad, to give their all-out support for our activity,” Mayor Nonato Abrenica said.

The mayor said they were fortunate to have raised at least P14 million in net proceeds from their previous Mrs. Villasis search, and this enabled them to fund and build their municipal building. The municipal government also bought a brand-new ambulance and one fire truck from proceeds of the search.

The result of the yearly canvassing for Mrs. Villasis speaks well of the unity, cooperation and collective effort displayed by the candidates, their supporters, local and abroad, their relatives and friends as well as the townspeople, Abrenica said.

In return, he said, people see tangible projects from the funds raised.

Every year, Abrenica and his wife, former mayor Dita Abrenica, would scout for candidates for the Mrs. Villasis search. A local candidate supported by townsfolk also vies for the title and contributes a big amount for projects intended for the progress of the town.

Some of the participants are frustrated Miss Villasis candidates who failed to win the crown in their younger years. “Once they win the title, we give them their moment of fame by doing their traditional walk in a manner fit for a queen,” he said.

Next year, the town will hold a Miss Villasis beauty pageant instead of the Mrs. Villasis popularity contest, to avoid “donor fatigue”.