CONSIDERING constraints for this year’s staging of Miss Bacolod MassKara, the event has been a great success.
Thousands gathered at the University of Saint La Salle-Bacolod coliseum on the night of Oct. 16 to witness the 15 lovely candidates that competed for the crown.
More than 12,000 were also viewing through Facebook live streaming. Its astounding audience reach undoubtedly made it one of the super events for the 2023 MassKara Festival.
Rodney Mitz Ascalon, the event’s creative director, said topping up last year’s staging has been challenging.
“Even though our budget is limited, the quality is still there,” he cited.
Ascalon also noted that each lady performed their best. The grand coronation night showcased not only grace and beauty but also the remarkable advocacies of the contestants.
The top 5 finalists each carried a unique vision for the city’s future in line with Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez’s vision to make Bacolod, more than being the “City of Smiles,” a “super city.”
Tourism Management student Yvonne Catamco, crowned Miss Bacolod MassKara 2023, wowed the judges and audience with her answer to the question: “We are tagging Bacolod City as the next “super city.” What do we have to do as Bacolodnons to embody this?”
The 22-year-old bested the others after she said, “Bacolod is known as the ‘super city,’ and what makes our city a ‘super city’ is our spirit – the spirit of each and every Bacolodnon. The spirit of resiliency and optimism that serves as a catalyst for us to thrive higher, to stand up wiser and bolder each time we fall. The same spirit gives us the power to see the positive part of everything, especially the struggles we encounter as a city. And if we could learn to share it, to radiate the spirit that resides in us, we can empower the world around us, and we can all become super people.”
A path twice taken
It is no secret that the newly-crowned Miss Bacolod MassKara is a repeat candidate.
Ascalon explained that after showing great potential in last year’s pageant, Catamco’s coaches encouraged her to take the shot again.
“She deserved to get the title because she was confident and good in many aspects of the pageant, especially in the question-and-answer,” Ascalon said.
According to Catamco, who advocates for underprivileged children, she carried a bolder version of herself on this year’s pageant stage, a woman who is fueled by failures and was there as a catalyst, inspiring others with her story.
“No matter how bumpy my journey was, no matter how many failures we encountered in our lives, we can always achieve our goal if we work on it, and with our heart and passion, we can always be the woman of our dreams,” the new queen said.
Benitez, along with his wife Nikki, son and Victorias City Mayor Javi, Sen. Raffy Tulfo and Miss Bacolod MassKara 2022-Universe Kara Daniela Villarosa, crowned Catamco.
Catamco won the grand prize of P150,000 and was recognized as Best in Swimwear.
Completing the winners’ circle were first runner-up Tracy Mae Sunio and second runner-up Elli Rose Elola.
Sunio is a 23-year-old former psychology student at Riverside College Inc. who works as a virtual assistant. She advocates for diverse disabilities awareness.
Elola, meanwhile, is a graduate of B.S. Psychology at the University of the Philippines who advocates for mental health awareness. She received the Best in Evening Gown and Darling of the Social Media awards.
The two ladies were given P100,000 and P50,000, respectively, with a bouquet of flowers and a plaque each.
For minor awards, Cailah Jhane Delarma bagged the Miss Congeniality award, while Allona Nejar was recognized as Miss Photogenic.
Best in Talent was Marianel Tan. She also got the Best in Festival Costume and Best Evening Gown Designer awards.
Other candidates were Georgette Ysabelle Millan, Therese Pira-an, Geralyn Joy Basto, Jada Biaxyl Celeste, Janine Cabrillos, Rose Mariel Sansing, Kyle Santillan, Maria Ericka Panganiban, and Crizwin Claire Española.
Each candidate received an P80,000 cash subsidy after besting more than 70 ladies who auditioned for this year’s beauty pageant.
Sen. Raffy Tulfo and Binibining Pilipinas Universe 2009 Bianca Manalo were among the judges who graced the star-studded event.
Actor-singer Carlo Aquino also performed on stage and serenaded the 15 contestants.
The event was hosted by actor-model Marco Gumabao and actress-influencer Janeena Chan.
In 2022, five ladies were crowned: Miss Bacolod MassKara Universe, Miss Bacolod MassKara World, Miss Bacolod MassKara International and two runners-up.
The Miss Bacolod MassKara is one of the major events in celebrating the Masskara Festival 2023./PN
