Reyna ng Aliwan 2019 Press Presentation

SEARCH FOR REYNA NG ALIWAN 2019

The search for festival queen heats up this summer’s celebration of the annual Aliwan Fiesta, with 23 young ladies representing various festivals all over the country vying for the title of Festival Queen, or Reyna ng Aliwan 2019. Manila Broadcasting Company, which produces the annual cultural extravaganza in partnership with the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Cities of Manila and Pasay, has released the list of this year’s candidates.

Bets from Luzon are Kimberly Naz for the Antipolo Maytime festival; Erginia Vera Bautista for the Banatu festival of Cabanatuan City; Lyka Veleña for the Boling-Boling festival of Catanauan, Quezon; Gezza Avila for the Niyogyugan festival of Quezon Province; Roi Neve Comanda for the Panagbenga festival of Baguio; Cinderella Salilican for the Pangisdaan festival of Navotas; Jhan Nicole Ambata for the Paru-Paro festival of Dasmariñas, Cavite; Aubrhie Cindyrelle Carpio for the Singkaban festival of Bulacan; Kizia Jermaine Maligalig for the Tagultol Fishing festival of Atimonan, Quezon; and Leandrea Gabrielle Batingan for the Tanglawan festival of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.

Visayan pulchritude has seven faces this year, with Nicole Borromeo for the Sinulog festival of Cebu; Milca Romares for the Salapan festival of Pulupandan, Negros Occidental; Cassandra Marie Lee for the Sangyaw festival of Tacloban City; Angelic Olmedo for the Pintados de Passi festival of Passi City, Iloilo; Charlotte
Arcena for the Pasaka festival of Tanauan, Leyte; and Deborah Belen Villaflores for the Buglasan festival of Dumaguete, Negros Oriental.

Mindanao in turn will be represented by Alayzza Izzabelle Tolimao for ther Agten Tufi festival of Tupi, South Cotabato; Ma. Kristina Ramos for the Cocowayan festival of Isabela, Basilan; Honey Be Parreñas for the Kalimudan festival of Sultan Kudarat; Angelin Summer Fernandez for the Kalivungan festival of North Cotabato; Frenzie Dione Escalada for the Muna To festival of Sarangani; Merhyl Kit Angeline Paraluman for the Tuna festival of General Santos City; and Princess Serdenia for the Zamboanga Hermosa festival

 Candidate # 1 is Honey Be Parreñas, representing the Kalimudan festival of Sultan Kudarat. HB is 20 years old, stands 5 feet 4-1/2 inches tall and weighs 105 pounds. A graduate of the Sultan Kudarat State University, she loves reading, and is a member of the Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants in Region 12.

Candidate # 2 is Angelic Olmedo, representing the Pintados de Passi festival of Passi City, Iloilo. Angel is 23 years old, stands 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 105 pounds. A graduate of Central Philippines University, she is currently a front office staffer at a hotel, and likes singing, dancing as well as taekwondo.

Candidate # 3 is Milca Romares, representing the Salapan festival of Pulupandan, Negros Occidental. Milc is 19 years old, stands 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 103 pounds. She is an honor student at Riverside College in Bacolod and engages in photojournalism. Milc likes writing essays and serves as director of Rotaract Club Bacolod-North.

Candidate # 4 is Aubrhie Cindyrelle Carpio, representing the Singkaban festival of Bulacan. Aubrhie is 22 years old, stands 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 105 pounds. She holds a degree in Tourism Management from Centro Escolar University Malolos, took a private pilot course from Masters Flying School, and is a flight attendant of Philippine Air Lines.

 Candidate # 5 is Kizia Jermaine Maligalig, representing the Tagultol Fishing Festival of Atimonan, Quezon. Kizia is 21 years old, stands 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 115 pounds. She graduated with degree in Tourism Management, Magna Cum Laude from St Anne College Lucena,

 Candidate # 6 is Gezza Avila, representing the Niyogyugan festival of Quezon province. She is 21 years old, stands 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 112 pounds. Gezza is from Candelaria and has a degree in Cruiseline Operations, major in Culinary Arts from Lyceum of the Philippines-Batangas. A member of Kiwanis International, she is into modeling and badminton, and loves anything related to the arts.

Candidate # 7 is Angelin Summer Fernandez, representing the Kalivungan festival of North Cotabato. Summ is 21 years old, stands 5 ft 6 inches tall and weighs 119 pounds. A graduate of Notre Dame of Kidapawan, she was part of last year’s Cotabato Young Leaders Congress, and currently works with the provincial government of North Cotabato.

Candidate # 8 is Frenzie Dionne Escalada, representing the MunaTo festival of Sarangani. Zie is 20 years old, stands 5 feet 6 inches tall, and weighs 103 pounds. An accounting major from Mindanao State University, she likes reading novels, watching documentaries, and is also a member of the Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants.

Candidate # 9 is Erginia Vera Bautista, representing the Banatu festival of Cabanatuan City. Erg is 22 years old, stands 5 feet 6 inches tall, and weighs 116 pounds. A graduate of the Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, she is currently a staff nurse at the emergency room of a hospital there.

 Candidate # 10 is Lyka Veleña, representing the Boling Boling festival of Catanauan, Quezon. Lyka is 22 years old, stands 5 feet 7 inches and weighs 110 pounds. She holds a degree in International Travel and Tourism Management from Lyceum of the Philippines-Laguna campus, and was class valedictorian. Candidate # 10, Lyka Veleña.

Candidate # 11 is Kimberly Naz, representing the Antipolo Maytime Festival. Kim is 18 years old, stands 5 feet 7 inches tall, and weighs 114 pounds. A student of Our Lady of Fatima University, she loves dancing and was named Mutya ngAntipolo-Tourism.

Candidate # 12 is Leandrea Gabrielle Batingan, representing the Tanglawan festival of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. Lean is 19 years old, stands 5 feet 8 inches tall, and weighs 115 pounds. She finished senior high school at the College of St Anthony and is into drawing, painting, singing, and writing.

Candidate # 13 is Deborah Belen Villaflores, representing the Buglasan festival of Dumaguete, Negros Oriental. Deb is 24 years old, stands 5 feet 7 inches tall, and weighs 110 pounds. A college graduate, she is into sports, likes collecting dolls, and spends her free time playing with her dog.

Candidate # 16 is Alayzza Izzabelle Tolimao, representing the Agten Tufi festival of Tupi, South Cotabato. Lyz is 18 years old and stands 5 feet 6 inches tall. She studies at the Joji Ilagan International School of GenSan and is into travelling and volleyball.

Candidate # 17 is Merhyl Kit Angeline Paraluman, representing the Tuna festival of General Santos City. Merhyl is 17 years old, stands 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 110 pounds. She is in senior high at Notre Dame-Siena College and is a taekwondo enthusiast.

Candidate # 18 is Roi Neve Comanda, representing the Panagbenga festival of Baguio City. Neeve is 19 years old, stands 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 121 pounds. She just finished senior high school at the University of the Cordilleras, likes to read books, and is into badminton.

Candidate # 19 is Charlotte Arcena, representing the Pasaka festival of Tanauan, Leyte, who emerged champions at last year’s Pintados Kasadyaan festival. Cha is 22 years old, stands 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 99 pounds. She is a public school teacher, having graduated from Leyte Normal University. Cha likes reading and playing badminton.

Candidate # 20 is Cassandra Marie Lee, representing the Sangyaw festival of Tacloban City. Cassey is 25 years old, stands 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 123 pounds. She holds a degree from ABE International Business College and is a member of the renowned Leyte Kalipayan Dance Troupe. She is currently an Emergency Response Specialist at the Tacloban local government unit.

Candidate # 21 is Ma. Kristina Ramos, representing the Cocowayan festival of Isabela, Basilan. Kristina is 17 years old, stands 5 feet 5 inches tall, and weighs 112 pounds. A student of the Western Mindanao State University, she is into track and field , plays soccer, and likes reading romantic novels.

Candidate # 22 is Jhan Nicole Ambata, representing the Paru-Paro festival of Dasmarinas, Cavite. Jhan is 18 years old, stands 5 feet 4 inches tall, and weighs 110 pounds. She studies at the Emilio Aguinaldo Colleges in Cavite, where she is majoring in Elementary Education.

Candidate # 23 is Cinderella Salilican, representing the Pangisdaan festival of Navotas. Cinds is 18 years old, stands 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 121 pounds. A college student at Navotas Polytechnic, she likes singing and dancing, and is a member of Tanghalang Suhay.

Candidate # 15 is Nicole Borromeo, representing the Sinulog festival of Cebu. Nic is 18 years old, stands 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs 125 pounds. She finished Senior High School at Cebu Doctors University, and loves to draw, bake, and listen to podcasts

The pageant night will be held at the outdoor stage in front of the Aliw Theater at the CCP Complex on April 26. The coronation night follows the grand parade and festival dance showdown on April 27. This year’s Festival Queen winner will receive P100,000 cash and a trophy, plus the chance to be a goodwill ambassadress for domestic tourism. Previous winners have gone on to participate in international beauty contests and have likewise tracked careers in professional modelling.
Aliwan Fiesta 2019 is supported by Pride Detergent, Unique Toothpaste, White Rose Cojic Whitening Soap, Smart Dishwashing Paste, Star Wax, Tanduay, TM, Dunkin’ Donuts, Symdex D, Asian Institute of Computer Studies, Senokot, GES Led Lights, Whiteflower, and Nature Spring Mineral Water.
For details about this year’s participants and line-up of activities, email siouxstar@gmail.com or call 832.6125 / 555.3477. Those interested may also check out Aliwan Fiesta 2019’s official Facebook page or log onto www.aliwanfiesta.com.ph

April 22, 2019
Aliw Theater
Photos by Joy Arguil