Shanyl Kayle Hofer: A Queen for a Cause

CEBU, Philippines — It’s pouring crowns for Cebu in 2021 with yet another national pageant win by one of its own.

Shanyl Kayle Hofer of Minglanilla, Cebu bested 11 other finalists at the Aliwan Fiesta Digital Queen 2021 finals held Saturday, October 9.

An offshoot of the Reyna ng Aliwan search that had been dominated by Cebu with eight title-holders, this is the second year that the Aliwan Fiesta organization staged a virtual pageant – tweaked to place emphasis on candidates’ advocacies and technological savvy, whereas Reyna ng Aliwan had a main festival dance segment plus a swimsuit competition.

“The pageant is very focused on the purpose of each candidate. They are not just searching for someone beautiful on the outside, but someone who has a cause,” Hofer told The FREEMAN in September.

Hofer, 20, was also awarded Best in Evening Gown for the royal blue sweetheart strapless she donned by designer Jovert Hubahib Redelosa.

She looked like the belle of the ball in an off-shoulder sweetheart – this time in yellow – for the virtual coronation which had her streaming live from the Cebu Century Plaza Hotel.

The Accountancy major received P50,000, and the same amount will be given to her chosen charitable program in Minglanilla. She was also rewarded with an all-expense paid vacation to Boracay with a four-day three-night stay for two at Feliz Hotel Boracay, inclusive of buffet breakfasts, roundtrip airfare and pocket money.

Declared first runner-up was Vjie Matias of San Manuel, Isabela who also bagged the Pride of Place Citation, while second runner-up was Chynna Kaye Verosil of Pangasinan. They received P25,000 and P15,000, respectively, with the same amount given to their chosen charities in their municipalities.

This is the seventh crown for a Cebu candidate this year, after wins by Apriel Joana Zapanta as Miss World Peace Philippines 2021, Rose Michelle Ilagan as Miss World Peace Philippines 2022, Joel Rey Carcasona as Mr. Gay World Philippines 2021, Beatrice Luigi Gomez as Miss Universe Philippines 2021, Tracy Maureen Perez as Miss World Philippines 2021, and Shaila Mae Rebortera as Miss Multinational Philippines 2021.

The Aliwan Fiesta Digital Queen pageant held weekly competitions namely, Pride of Place, Talent, Queens for a Cause, Evening Gown, and Q&A leading up to the coronation.

Asked during the Q&A competition what tip she’d give a young, aspiring beauty queen, Hofer said in essence, “In all the pageants I’ve joined, one thing that I learned is about being your true self. You don’t have to pretend to be someone else because what they’re looking for is authenticity, which is somewhat important to reach and help others. Beauty pageants are not just all glitz and glamour – it’s all about what we can do to help our community.”

Hofer – a Miss Isabel Leyte 2020 2nd runner-up, and Sugat Kabanhawan Festival Queen 2021 1st runner-up – also shared in the same The FREEMAN interview last month how in previous pageant stints she “focused on something that I shouldn’t have.”

With Aliwan, she realized that pageants can be utilized for a higher purpose than oneself, and so she has since merged her passion and pageantry to help and inspire.

For her Queens for a Cause video entry, Hofer shared how her parents’ separation when she was 7 left her and her mother, then pregnant with her brother, suddenly fending for themselves.

“Growing up I saw my mother manage her food stall to give me and my brother a good life. In between hard work and perseverance, I’ve seen all her breakdowns and heartbreaks,” she narrated.

“As a daughter it was heartbreaking for me to see my mother suffer. That is the reason why I have to help her with our business, and at the same time do side hustles as a commercial model and an influencer. With all the lessons from my family’s journey, I realized the importance of being helpful and resourceful.”

Witnessing firsthand how her struggling single mom used to invest in small businesses and oftentimes fail, Hofer thought of advocating for small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs), a sector that has been among those hit hard by the pandemic.

Her family decided to offer a portion of their residential space in Upper Calajoan, Minglanilla to SMEs who can put up stalls rent-free. The fast-food area, called Binugoy Food Park, mainly sells tuslob-buwa, and currently has milk tea, and shawarma rice/wraps stalls. They remain open to other SMEs who wish to start up their own ventures.

“It’s a little something that we can help them out with,” said Hofer, who used to run a halo-halo stall herself before she got busy with pageantry.