SHARIFA AKEEL; Mutya ng Pilipinas – Tourism International:
AYA FERNANDEZ; Mutya ng Pilipinas – Tourism Queen of the Year International:
KESHA RAMACHANDRAN; Mutya ng Pilipinas – Global Beauty Queen:
PAULINE AMELINCKX ; Mutya ng Pilipinas Overseas Communities:
JADE ROBERTS; 1st Runner-Up: Mary Justine Teng; 2nd Runner-Up: Kristine Micah Malicsi
(Photo: Mutya Ng Pilipinas/Facebook)
Mutya ng Pilipinas celebrated their 50th anniversary at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on September 16. The night ended with four queens crowned out of fifty girls who competed, to represent the Philippines at various pageants overseas.
Last year’s winner Ilene Astrid De Vera crowned her successor Sharifa Akeel, Mutya ng Sultan Kudarat. Proudly Muslim, she wore a more conservative one-piece rather than the rest of her competitors wearing bikinis during the swimsuit portion.
When asked about diversity in beauty pageants during the question and answer round, she stated, “I will set myself as an example of it because Mutya ng Pilipinas openly accepted me for who I am despite of my religion. It only means that Mutya ng Pilipinas promotes diversity, beauty in diversity.”
Crowned by her predecessor Jannie Ali-poon, Julieane “Aya” Fernandez of Taguig won Mutya ng Pilipinas Miss Tourism International.
She will compete in Malaysia this December, attempting to reign victorious like Ali-poon. During the question and answer round, she was asked to talk about self-care, of which Fernandez answered, “What advice I can give to my generation on maintaining beauty is that beauty comes from within. But above all, a woman will stand out if she is beautiful in and out.”
Joining Akeel and Fernandez in the list of winners are Mutya ng Pilipinas-Global Beauty Queen 2018 Pauline Amelinckx of Bohol and Mutya ng Pilipinas-Tourism Queen of the Year International 2018 Kesha Ramachandran of Iloilo. Mutya ng Navotas Kristine Malicsi won second runner-up, while Mutya ng Muntinlupa Mary Justine Teng won first runner-up. To round off the list of winners is Jade Roberts, Mutya ng Australia, who was crowned Mutya ng Pilipinas – Overseas Filipino Communities 2018.
With Mutya ng Pilipinas celebrating their golden year, all of the ladies’ evening gowns and swimsuits were in gold. Marc Nelson and Iza Calzado hosted the competition.