Ecuador beauty named Miss Earth

MANILA, Philippines - A 23-year-old model from Ecuador was named this year’s Miss Earth 2011. 

Miss Earth 2010 Nicole Faria took her farewell walk and passed the crown to Olga Alva of Ecuador.

Miss Brazil Drielly Bennettone is Miss Earth-Air 2011, while Miss Philippines Athena Mae Imperial, got the Miss Earth-Water 2011 title, and Caroline Medina of Venezuela was awarded as Miss Earth-Fire 2011. 

Miss Ecuador outshone 83 other contestants in her white silver gown while Miss Brazil gracefully modeled a silver and white sequined gown. Miss Philippines’ striking red gown also wowed the audience while Miss Venezuela dazzled in her shiny lilac gown.

Completing the top 16 were girls from Ukraine, Paraguay, Japan, Portugal, Sweden, Chinese Taipei, Crimea, Zimbabwe, Thailand, Slovenia, Mexico, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Then, the top 8 was announced which included Crimea, Ecuador, Mexico, Philippines, Venezuela, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zimbabwe, and Brazil.

Miss Chinese Taipei Cherry Liu dominated the online voting which bagged her Miss Earth Photogenic 2011, while Dominique Mann of South Africa won in the talent round.

Winner of the swimsuit competition was Sarka Cojocarova of Czech Republic while Miss Mexico Cassandra Becerra got the Best Long Gown award. Tomoko Maeda of Japan bagged the Best National Costume title while Sanober Hussain of Pakistan was hailed as the friendliest candidate.

Miss Ecuador’s environmental advocacy is preserving the forest and tree planting.

Christian Bautista captured the hearts of the candidates with his rendition of Bruno Mars’ “Just the Way You Are” while Pilipinas Got Talent Season 3’s El Gamma Penumbra impressed the crowd with their shadow play act.

The coronation night was held at the UP Theater last Saturday.

The 12th Miss Earth pageant is set for December 2012 at Ninh Thuan in Vietnam.