By JAY PATAO
Photos by Edmund Chua & Jay Patao
A 19-year-old beauty from Candelaria, Quezon was crowned as Bb. Niyogyugan 2016, besting 24 other contestants from all over Quezon Province in a star-studded coronation show held at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena City last Friday.
Ma. Ahtisa Manalo, a junior Accountancy student of Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation, was crowned as Bb. Niyogyugan 2016 by last year’s winner Coraline Resurreccion.
The 5’8” Manalo earned the right to represent the province’s grand Niyogyugan Festival at Reyna ng Aliwan 2017. Ahtisa also won six special awards including Best in Swimsuit and Best in Evening Gown.
Manalo, who was a top 10 finalist at Miss Teen Earth 2014, will be competing for Reyna ng Aliwan for the second time. Last year, she represented the Candle Festival of her native Candelaria at Aliwan Fiesta, dubbed as the festival of all festivals.
When asked about the relevance of the Bb. Niyogyugan Pageant during the final question- and-answer round, Manalo said that “The livelihood of Quezonians is based on the coconut industry which comprises almost 80% of the province’s agriculture. Quezon is not Quezon without coconuts.”
Runners-up to Manalo were: Aubrey Macalalad, 19, of Sariaya, first; Julie-Ann Gil, 19, of Lucena City, second; Sheina Gaile Cabagon, 16, of Alabat, third; and Clarisse Dagosin, 20, of Tayabas City, fourth.
The panel of judges included Miss Tourism Queen of the Year International 2015-2016 Leren Mae Bautista, Miss Globe International Philippines 2016 Toni Hipolito, Mister International 2014 Neil Perez, Professional Models Association of the Philippines president Rafa Kiefer and top fashion designer Renee Salud, who chaired the panel.
Kapamilya heartthrob Iñigo Pascual sent fans screaming at the jam packed venue as he serenaded the finalists. Governor Danny E. Suarez and Rep. Aleta C. Suarez were also present to award the winners.
The Bb. Niyogyugan Pageant was one of the highlights of the annual Niyogyugan Festival that originated from an agri-trade fair in 2011 and officially started as Niyogyugan Festival in 2012.
Organized to celebrate the coconut bounty of Quezon, Niyogyugan Festival aims to be at par with other major festivals like Sinulog of Cebu and Panagbenga of Baguio in the near future.
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