THE "MUTIA TI LA UNION" BEAUTY WATCH (Series 1 of 4)

Agoo, Aringay, Balaoan, Bangar and Bauang
by: Jetset Alejandro

I always anticipate the Miss La Union Beauty Pageant dubbed as Mutia Ti La Union (Mutya ng La Union) because of its colorful pageantry -from the parade of the town costumes, to the carefully selected and designed evening gowns and to the swimsuit competition. In the final stretch, you will beautiful candidates selected to the Top 5 and are able to espouse their thoughts about issues that affect our everyday lives. The wittiest amongst the 5 becomes the title holder. After the affair, each town reassesses their performance and aim to perform better in the next year.

This year, we have 20 candidates from the different towns. We are featuring the first 5 candidates in the alphabetical order. As the pageant activities unfold, we will be able to bring more information about the candidates and how they are doing at the pageant. For this first part of the series, we will present to you the candidates of Agoo, Aringay, Balaoan, Bangar and Bauang.

AGOO’s candidate is Kimberle Mae Penchon, a 20-year old lass studying at the School of International Tourism and Hospitality Management at the University of Baguio and is now in her senior year taking up Hotel and Restaurant Management. She is a fashion and commercial model based in Baguio City. Kimberle is a veteran of beauty pageants. In 2011, she was first runner-up in the Miss HRAB 2011 pageant where she competed with different schools in Baguio who are offering Hotel and Restaurant Management.  Aside from being Miss Agoo, she also competed in Baguio City and was crowned as Miss Baguio 2012.  With Kimberle’s credentials at the regional pageant level, will she repeat another win for the Municipality of Agoo?

ARINGAY’S candidate is Justine Kaye Picardal. She is a candidate who had been on the local fashion scene. She is also a local cross-over beauty candidate, a nomenclature for candidates who join the big 4 pageants in the national pageant scene – i.e. Binibining Pilipinas, Miss Philippines-Earth, Miss World Philippines and Mutya ng Pilipinas. Justine was seen to join and compete at the Miss San Fernando City Beauty Search in February 2012. She was not lucky enough. She then, displayed her wares at the Miss Agoo Beauty Pageant last May 2012 and was able to get the 4^th runner-up award. Last December 12, 2012, she capped her perseverance with the Miss Aringay crown. Will she be able to display her finest this March 2, 2013 to give Aringay the 3^rd Mutia ti La Union crown when she has Kimberle Penchon of Agoo and Kashmir Hernaez of San Fernando City to contend with during the pageant? Let us see how she will be able to transform herself and be at par with these two ladies whom she had previously competed with.

 BALAOAN’S candidate is 20 years old Beverly Ann Lucero Moster who eclipsed everyone in her local pageant because of her extraordinary talent and her wit and demeanor. With her refreshing outlook to life, Beverly comes out as a bright and shining person. Her smile catches you the most as her eyes glisten with those smiles. Being a relatively neophyte in the beauty pageant ring, will she be able to hold her candle among the pageant veterans whose lives seem to have been hitched to the pageant arena? Well, with the pageant searches being on the lookout for refreshing and revitalizing beauties, Beverly will surely be at par with the veteran pack in this year’s pageant.

BANGAR’S EVELYN SIBAYAN – considers herself as a simple girl in a normal world. She says life is full of trials and yet she has everything to thank for because there is always her family that gives her whole support whatever life has to offer – be it good or bad. We could see with what she has said that, she has the shades of the Venus Raj drama and charisma. Evelyn, Lyn to many is like a chameleon. She is a simple girl but changes into a different persona when she transforms onstage like any fashion model. Will this charisma be able to catapult her to the front-runner status for Mutia ti La Union? Bangar’s Mutya ng Abel will do her best and perform to the best of her capabilities come pageant night. 

BAUANG’s representative is Mabel Joy Verceles. She is another crossover beauty having competed in the Miss San Fernando City 2012 in March 2012 and then joined other bevy of beauties in the pageant dubbed as Miss Bauang International 2012. Mabel’s very serene countenance made her edge out other candidates in the Miss Bauang Beauty Pageant. Mabel is no novice in beauty pageants. She had been a first runner-up in the Pamulinawen Festival in Laoag, Ilocos Norte where she competed head-on with Mutia ti La Union 2012, Alyanna Camille Mickiewicz.  With her refreshing and vibrant personality, Mabel Joy will surely not be far behind in her quest for the Mutia ti La Union 2013.  

There you are, the first 5 candidates of the Mutia ti La Union Beauty Pageant. Stay tuned for the next 5 candidates.