'Centennial Queen' crowned at NCotabato's 100th anniversary

NORTH COTABATO, Philippines – A pretty lass from Alamada town was crowned on Monday as the “centennial queen” of the province in a pageant, one of the events highlighting North Cotabato’s 100th founding anniversary on September 1.

The 22-year-old Maria Jemiah Keziah Arroyo, a registered nurse, bested 14 other contestants from different North Cotabato towns and from Kidapawan City, the capital of the province.

The pageant was organized by the office of Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza, which allocated funds for the week-long celebration of the “Kalivungan Festival,” to culminate on September 1, which is also the centennial anniversary of North Cotabato as a chartered province.

Pageant judges voted for contestants Charmaine Fajanela as first runner-up, Stephanie Joy Abellanida as second runner-up, Clarisse Faith Terro as third runner-up, and Alean Grace Corpuz as fourth runner-up.

Arroyo had intelligently answered the questions of hosts Venus Raj, crowned Binibining Pilipinas in 2010 and was fourth runner up in the Miss Universe pageant in the same year, and artist Aldrico Padilla, during the question-and-answer portion of the beauty contest. 

The judges were led by Binibining Pilipinas 2014 Mary Jean “MJ” Lastimosa, who was born and raised in Tulunan town in the second district of North Cotabato.

The panel of judges was comprised of Binibining Pilipinas 2011 Shamcey Supsup, Sr. Supt. Cornelio Salinas, former North Cotabato provincial police director, Ariella Arida, a third runner-up in the 2013 Miss Universe pageant, and international furniture designer Vito Selma.

Arroyo also bagged three other special awards, the best in play suit, best in interview and best in gown attire.

In a statement Tuesday, Mendoza said she is thankful to all of North Cotabato’s local government units and the different private organizations that helped push the centennial beauty pageant forward. 

The pageant winners will all grace the September 1 provincial centennial anniversary celebration at the capitol compound in Barangay Amas in Kidapawan City, said the governor. 

The week-long provincial anniversary commemoration coincides with the Kalivungan Festival, capped off with various cultural events showcasing the eco-tourism potentials of the province and the resilience of the local Muslim, Christian and lumad communities. 

Kalivungan is a generic term, in most dialects of North Cotabato’s highland indigenous non-Moro groups, which may mean either as a tribal conclave where elders are to discuss community concerns, or a thanksgiving banquet, or a special gathering to celebrate good harvest or the settlement of territorial disputes and clan conflicts.