Cebu’s bets to Mr. & Miss: Hannah’s World Tourism Philippines

CEBU, Philippines — Three Cebuanos made it to the ranks of Mr. and Miss Hannah’s World Tourism Philippines 2018, a pageant with an ecotourism advocacy.

Presented by Hannah’s Beach Resort and Convention Center, the pageant revealed its 40 candidates April 14 at the SMX Convention Center of SM Aura Premier, with 20 stunners from the female and male category.

After an extensive go-see that scoured the entire country, Cebu brought forth three aspiring gems in the competition.

Twenty-three-year-old registered pharmacist Juvel Ducay of Bantayan Island is the only Cebuana among the female finalists. Finishing at the Top 6 in last year’s Miss Mandaue search, Juvel also placed first runner-up in the same pageant’s Media’s Choice selection where she impressed judges with her views on social media saying that women should be aware, vigilant and should learn to put boundaries in order to protect their privacy now, more than ever. She also won Miss Mandaue’s Fitness Challenge in the same year.

The 5’4” beauty is a self-confessed island girl. Hailing from the pristine beaches of Bantayan Island in the north of Cebu, Juvel, a BS Pharmacy graduate from the University of San Carlos says that it has always been her dream to represent her hometown in a national pageant.

Two Cebuanos make it to the final 20 in the male category: Vann Ramos and Kyle Dwight Sabinay.

Vann is no stranger to pageantry, having moved to Cebu to live independently after Typhoon Yolanda ravaged his hometown of Leyte in 2013. He was able to stand on his own through modeling and singing gigs, as well as joining pageants. The 23-year-old was Cebu’s bet in the Misters of Filipinas 2017 competition after being handpicked by designer Lemuel Rosos for his dedication and self-determination.

The model also joined the first edition of Hari sa Sugbo in February where he was given the Best Hari Costume and Best Bench Body awards. Joining advocacy pageants like Misters of Filipinas which hopes to uplift male pageantry in the country, as well as Hari sa Sugbo for HIV-AIDS awareness, Vann consistently proves that responsibility and purpose comes alongside a crown, and even without it, one should always strive to do good.

Kyle Dwight Sabinay, 19, is relatively starting out. The incoming Grade 11 student is a singer and had auditioned alongside his older brother Kiert Aivan in ABS-CBN’s reality singing competition show “Pinoy Boyband Superstar” in 2016. His brother didn’t make it past the Judges’ Audition, while Kyle moved on to the roster of the final 40 contestants.

Although five-foot-nine Kyle wasn’t with his brother and also didn’t make it to the Top 20 for the Middle Rounds, he persevered after promising to do his best. As he enters the national level of pageantry, Kyle’s self declared approachable personality will hopefully shine through in his Mr. Hannah’s Tourism World Philippines journey.

The candidates were able to introduce and present themselves during the Grand National Callbacks. Led by Col. Ricardo L. Nolasco Jr., President and CEO of Hannah’s Resort and Convention Center, and with the help of a panel of judges composed of Miss Grand International 2016 first runner-up Nicole Cordoves, Binibining Pilipinas 2018 finalists Sigrid Flores, Sandra Lemonon and Sarah Margarette Joson, Miss Universe Philippines 2009 Bianca Manalo, Century Tuna Superbods 2016 first runner-up Clint Bondad, DR Swimwear maker Domz Ramos, and ABS-CBN TV reporter Mario Dumaual, the 72 contestants enlisted for the final callbacks were then trimmed down to 40 based on their introduction and swimwear.

In its sixth year, the pegeant promises its grandest staging yet with three pairs of titles at stake. Starting this year, six finalists will be hailed Mr. and Miss Hannah’s World Tourism Philippines 2018, Mr. and Miss Hannah’s Ecotourism Philippines 2018, as well as Mr. and Miss Hannah’s Tourism Ambassador Philippines 2018.

The top two winners for both categories will receive cash prizes of P100,000 each with the two sets of runners-up getting P50,000 each and P25,000 each respectively.

The grand winners will not only become spokespersons for the resort’s ecotourism advocacies and the resort’s official representatives for the United Nations Tourism World Organization, and the International Ecotourism Society (which has accredited Hannah’s as the first and only Philippine institution with membership of their organizations) but they will also be granted the responsibility of championing for environmental preservation and protection, as well as a catalyst in community development.

In case the prizes aren’t tempting enough, the winners will also be assured slots in several prestigious national pageants such as Mutya ng Pilipinas, Miss Global and Miss Earth Philippines, and Gentlemen of the Philippines with Hannah’s Beach Resort and Convention Center as a major sponsor.

The resort, dubbed as “The Crown Jewel of the North” with its string of national and international recognitions, also plans on launching an international pageant by September. Miss Hannah’s World Tourism, which is eyed to open in the Philippines, offers to foster tourism education and training. It aims to create awareness and solicit the engagement of the youth as an avenue to promote tourism as an instrument in achieving sustainable development goals to reduce poverty, all the while fostering sustainable development around the world.

The preliminary competition starts May 5 at Hannah’s Beach Resort and Convention Center in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, with the coronation night on May 12 at the New Performing Arts Theater in Resorts World Manila. (FREEMAN)