CEBU, Philippines - Despite the spate of controversies surrounding Miss Cebu 2009, Kris Tiffany Janson remains as glowing as when she was crowned the 25th most beautiful Cebuana last January.
And to this day, the 19-year-old Management Accounting student at the University of San Carlos still gets overwhelmed at the thought of her victory.
“What an experience it has been. I’m still quite surprised at the thought of being Miss Cebu, since I never ever dreamed of joining a beauty contest, although my grandmother used to tell me as a little girl that I should be a beauty queen when I grow up,” Kris recalls.
Prior to the pageant, Kris admitted to not being inclined to joining pageants, although her background in modeling should have easily triggered the decision to give it a shot. And she initially wanted to delay her participation and would only join in next year’s search. But she discloses, “Some inner voice was telling me that it was God’s will for me to join this year; that it was the right time to go out there and [be able] to encourage others to believe in themselves.”
True enough, the first-time candidate outdid herself. “I couldn’t believe my confidence while I was on stage, but I knew that God was taking charge of every moment because I was in a state of grace. All along I never doubted His power to help me cast my fears aside,” the God-fearing Cebuana beauty says.
Kris has been dubbed as Cebu’s most bankable print-ad model, as well as one of the city’s most favorite runway mannequins, but she’s not one to flaunt her feats. As a member of a devout Catholic family and a student of Catholic learning institutes from grade school to college (St. Benedict Childhood Education Centre, Sacred Heart School-Jesuits, De La Salle University, and University of San Carlos), good breeding, faith in God, and being grounded are things she has learned early on.
Kris, who belongs to A.D. Models Philippines, was last seen doing the ramp for “L’Amore Bridal Fashion Show,” which featured wedding creations of top Cebuano couturiers, at the Style Lounge of ParkMall in the Reclamation Area.
She enthuses, “I enjoy modeling! My highest goal is to become a Ford Supermodel like my fellow A.D. model Verns Buckley who was blessed enough to penetrate Europe and the US. In the meantime, I want to concentrate on my responsibilities as Miss Cebu 2009, which I’m enjoying a lot. I would like my reign to be unique and enriching not only for me but also for every Cebuano.”
Her reign embodies a year-round itinerary of commitments, but as far as her personal crusade and plans as Miss Cebu are concerned, the young lady already has something concrete in mind. She shares, “My mentor Dexter Alazas and I are working on a campaign which we fondly call ‘Trash for Cash,’ wherein we’re going to turn scrap fabrics into dolls, design clothes to be made of fabric combinations and patchworks, recycle other alternative garments for livelihood. We’re going to talk the Clothes for Life Foundation into supporting us in this cause.”
She continues, “I take it as part of my platform being Miss Cebu 2009 to somehow make a difference in the lives of everyone. As a model, this particular project is my way of reciprocating all the perks that I get in the fashion industry. And because we’re all affected by the international economic crisis, I believe it’s a good response.
“By the way, who says it’s impossible to remain stylish during times of economic hardship? After all, it is fun to be a recessionista,” ends the lovely Kris Janson, who is determined to live out her reign to the fullest. – ARIEL A. ALLERA