ILOILO City – Eighteen Ilongga beauties will vie for the Miss Iloilo 2023 crown.
Over the weekend, the Miss Iloilo committee presented to the press the 18 candidates at the pool side of Park Inn by Radisson Iloilo.
They are Mary Desiree D. Rendoque, Kristine Joy P. Flores, Nicklyn T. Jutay, Cristine Aimee P. Bello, K Dilme Amanda P. Perera, Princess F. Russell, Raniele Shaine S. Saulog, Maria Angela Andrade, Christine Joy D. Bretaña, Jeraldine B. Quimson, Chrisselle Rose P. Lambatig, Shyla Pearl Ranjan, Ma. Delza B. Anduque, Ma. Cristina Isabel Tallador, Angelica Vinson, Tracy Lois Bedua, Chloei Darl Gabales, and Christine Joyce Fabellore.
The pageant night will be held at the Iloilo Convention Center on January 18, 2023.
According to pageant director Kevin Pison Piamonte, a respected Ilonggo theater and film director, artist and University of the Philippines professor, aside from having more candidates and a bigger venue, the Miss Iloilo 2023 is going to be full of surprises.
“The pageant is definitely going to be something to look forward to. Indi kami kahambal subong kon ano matabu sa pageant but we promise, it is going to be big. It is not going to be your usual pageant. Production-wise, it is going to be way up there,” said Piamonte in an interview with DYRI RMN Iloilo.
He noted that during the pageant night, they are going to award the Miss Iloilo crown and the runners up.
After the pageant, Piamonte said the judges will deliberate and will announce the following day who will represent Iloilo City to the Miss Universe-Philippines, Binibining Pilipinas, and Miss World-Philippines.
During the press presentation, candidate Gabales captured the hearts of the members of the media. The 22-year old lass, a veteran of local beauty pageants, was chosen “Darling of the Press.”
To recall, because of the COVID-19 pandemic that prohibits the holding of large gatherings, the Miss Iloilo 2022 was held with a very limited number of participants and audience. Those who were on the ground were only the production crew, the candidates and the judges.
Miss Iloilo replaced the Miss Dinagyang beauty pageant that, for many years, chose the city’s ambassadress of goodwill. It was first staged in 2020.
The first Miss Iloilo was Rabiya Mateo who subsequently joined and won the Miss Universe-Philippines title. She represented the Philippines in the Miss Universe 2020 pageant in the United States and finished as a semifinalist./PN
