Miss World PH 6 favorites

THE 6TH Miss World Philippines Pageant presented its 25 beauteous contestants last September 5 at Sampaguita Gardens in Valencia St., Quezon City with no less than Miss World national director Cory Quirino expressing high hopes that from this batch of hopefuls will emerge the Philippines’ second Miss World after Megan Young who won in Bali, Indonesia in 2013.

The grand Charity Gala Night of Miss World Philippines 2016 with the theme “beauty in giving” will be held on September 20 at Enderun Tent in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, while the grand coronation night, to be aired by GMA 7, will be held at The Tent of Manila Hotel on September 25 at 7:00 p.m.

High Speed picked its top bets for this year’s coveted title namely:

• Catriona Elisa Magnayon Gray, 22, 5’10”, representing Albay. Representing her Bicolana mother’s home province, Catriona is half-Scottish born in Cairns, Queensland, Australia and pursuing a degree in Music at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. She is a budding singer-composer who helps the poor by way of her Paraiso Bright Beginnings project;

• Alyana Mikaela Valles Cagandahan, 23, 5’6”, from Laguna. Literally living up to her name, this beauty queen from the capital town of Sta. Cruz was a Miss Philippines Earth 2015 top 10 finalist;

• Arienne Louise Brago, Calingo, 24, 5’7” from Angeles City, Pampanga. This beauty-and-brains graduated with honors from Georgetown University in Washington D.C. She is a lecturer of Arabic language at Holy Angel University and EducationUSA Ambassador for the US Embassy in Manila.

• Jan Helen Cruz Villanueva, 23, 5’9”, from Norzagaray, Bulacan. This Bulakenya was a contestant at the 50th Bb. Pilipinas Pageant in 2013.

• Vinie Camille Dy Quiangco, 23, 5’6”, from Sapian, Antique. Trained in international studies, she has worked as researcher for Asian Institute of Management and volunteered as a missionary based in Mindanao where she teaches children how to read and write;

• Ralph Lauren Hernandez Asuncion, 25, 5’6”, from Batangas. A graduate of Business Management at San Sebastian College, Lauren has lived in the US with her family where she pursued acting and modeling. She is bent on buying motor boats that will serve as travel links from the city to the far flung areas of Batangas.

The winner of Miss World Philippines 2016 will vie for the 66th Miss World Pageant to be held in Washington, D.C. on December 20, 2016. (Jay P. Delgado)