Mrs. Cebu-Philippines bets showcase their talents

CEBU, Philippines —  Mothers took to the stage while their families cheered from the crowd as the lights of their homes shone even brighter in the spotlight during the Mrs. Cebu-Philippines 2019 Press Presentation and Talents Night.

Held recently at PAGCOR’s Teatro Casino Filipino Cebu inside Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino, the event had the 15 candidates showcasing their talents and displaying their personalities throughout the press presentation, which allowed the crowd to know them well.

The competition is dedicated to produce world-class beauty queens through the local pageant system and is an avenue for mothers to pursue their pageant aspirations. The Mrs. Cebu Philippines 2019 tilt is also a search for Cebuana delegates who will be joining the Mrs. Philippines-International 2019 national pageant.

Set to name winners in different categories (Mrs. Cebu-Philippines for those who are married; Miss Cebu-Philippines for single moms, separated or unmarried; and Elite Cebu-Philippines for married women between 45-65 years old), the finalists are entrepreneurs Joceth Japitan and Analie Molina; customer service expert Maria Theresa Jane Bentulan; maitre d’hotel Catherine Antecristo; school teacher Elizabeth Cacanog; TV/events host and senior marketing officer Cherryl Pelayo-Dacua; maitre de maisson Easter Lane Pescadera; and event producer, host and singer Analou Ramnarine for the Mrs. Cebu-Philippines category.

Private duty nurse Angel Cebuco; virtual executive assistant Yvonne Dale Fernan; sales consultant Jucil Marie Juntilla; medical representative and businesswoman Maria Cecilia Lopez; pastry chef Septy Magaspi; and operations manager Lubesly Tellidua are the hopefuls in the Miss Cebu-Philippines category. Realtor Melanie Trani is the lone candidate for the Elite Cebu-Philippines category.

All advocates of women empowerment, the candidates joined the competition to show those who may doubt themselves that they can do whatever they put their mind and heart into. Many of the ladies feel like they have to prove themselves and joined the competition to feel confident. The Mrs. Cebu-Philippines Press Presentation was proof of their growth.

“The first reason I wanted to join was to lose weight. When you’ve just given birth, you just had a child, your body changes. I wanted to be a better version of myself. Be more fit, more confident,” said Dacua, 39.

But since the competition began, Dacua said that it is her advocacy of fighting for abused women and children that has served as her motivation until the coronation night.

“I would like to be an inspiration to women out there that even though we’re married or have children, we can still go out of the box and pursue our goals. What keeps me going is my commitment to my advocacy. I would like to take that on a larger platform.”

Despite being the lone candidate for Elite Cebu-Philippines, 54-year-old Melanie Trani from Cebu City North still has to compete to qualify for the nationals. This is her first pageant, and so far, she’s enjoying the experience.

“My preparation for this pageant is from the inside. I discovered that when you are put in new situations, new experiences, it can be very overwhelming. But if deep inside you, you know yourself, you know what you really want, your purpose…,” said Trani.

“We all have stories to tell. This serves as an inspiration for women. This is women for women. I decided to join because I believe in empowering women and developing livelihood programs.”

Following the media Q&A, the Mrs. Cebu Talents Night featured cultural dances, a dance sport number, singing, and declamation, among others.

Maria Theresa Jane Bentulan of Lapu-Lapu City won over the crowd with her interpretative dance performance, which also highlighted her advocacy on violence against women. Analou Ramnarine of Mandaue City heated up the stage with her sing and dance performance of Jennifer Lopez’s “Dance Again.” Joining the Top 3 is Cebu City South’s Cherryl Pelayo Dacua, who, before dancing to “He Mele No Lilo,” acted out and explained the daily lives of moms.

The Mrs. Cebu-Philippines coronation night will unfold at the Milan Hall of Mezzo Hotel on September 1, where the winner of the Talent Competition will be announced.