By JAY PATAO
Photos by Edmund Chua
A sportscaster from Manila and a model from Pila, Laguna were crowned as this year’s Mutya ng Pilipinas winners, besting 28 other contestants from all over the country as well as Filipino communities overseas at the 48th edition of the beauty pageant that celebrates the empowered millennial Filipina, at the finals held at the Newport Performing Arts Theater of Resorts World Manila in Pasay City Saturday night.
Ganiel Akrisha Atun Krishnan, 21, a Mass Communications sophomore of FEU-Manila and side court reporter for FEU at UAAP, was crowned as Mutya ng Pilipinas-Asia Pacific International 2016, succeeding last year’s winner and reigning Miss Tourism Queen of the Year International Leren Mae Bautista.
A 5’5 ½” half-Indian beauty from San Andres, Manila, Krishnan will vie for the Miss Asia Pacific International Pageant which will be re-launched after a hiatus of more than a decade and held in Palawan in November.
Krishnan, who was Miss Manila 2016 second runner-up last June 24, expounded on the topic “inner beauty” during the question-and-answer round of the 10 finalists.
Justin Mae Alcaide San Jose, a 19-year-old AB Communications student of Colegio de San Juan de Letran-Calamba and the winner of the Calabarzon regional pageant, was crowned as Mutya ng Pilipinas-Tourism International 2016, inheriting the crown from last year’s winner Janela Joy Cuaton, who is scheduled to compete for Miss Tourism International in Malaysia in December; San Jose will compete for the same pageant next year.
San Jose, hails from Pila, Laguna and has lived in Doha, Qatar since the age of four with her parents who are both OFWs. Incidentally, both Cuaton and San Jose are childhood friends and have become successful models in the Middle East.
San Jose expounded on the topic “Tourism” and expressed the importance of tourism in the economy of the country.
Krishna and San Jose received cash prizes of P150,000 and P120,000, respectively, a two-year contract with Viva Entertainment and various gifts from sponsors.
Michelle Charlotte Narvaez Thorlund, a 19-year-old Filipino-American beauty from Irvine, California, was given the special title of Mutya ng Pilipinas-Overseas Communities 2016. She received $1,000 in cash and various gifts from sponsors.
Rounding up the winning circle were Lynette Bradford, 19, from Melbourne, Australia, first runner-up; and Ashley Nicole Smith Singh, 21, from Central Luzon, second runner-up.
The top 10 finalists included: Joanna Rose Niño Tolledo from Caloocan City; Jannie Loudette Vicencio Alipo-on from Navotas City; Michelle Debuayas Cartagena from Cebu City, Mayu Eustaquio Murakami from Tokyo, Japan; and Dianne Irish Joy Quedding Lacayanga from Paniqui, Tarlac.
The 3-hour show, aired yesterday morning on ABS-CBN, was hosted by Richard Gutierrez, Arci Muñoz and Bela Padilla. The panel of judges included Ma. Lourdes Hapson of DOT, Resorts World Manila COO Stephen Reilley, Mexican Ambassador Julio Camarena Villaseñor, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters assistant coach Carlos Garcia, Col. Ricardo Nolasco of Hannah’s Beach Resort, Miss Indonesia 1976 Renny Harman, Noveleta Mayor Dino Carlo, socialite and philanthropist Tessa Prieto-Valdes and actress and Brazilipinas designer Diana Menezes.
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