Aliwan Fiesta: Home of Festival Queens
The Philippines boasts an abundance of spellbinding natural wonders. The country, with its more than 7,000 islands, is also home to countless festivals that celebrate colorful and vibrant Filipino traditions.
Aliwan Fiesta, an annual summer spectacle organized by the Manila Broadcasting Company together with the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the cities of Manila and Pasay, brings together the country’s most popular festivals in a single setting.
The festival has also trained the spotlight on the undeniable beauty of the Filipina through its Reyna ng Aliwan pageant. Beauty pageants have become a significant part of Filipino culture. And for other manifestations of our national psyche such as the fiesta, beauty competitions also complete the picture.
Now on its eighth year, the Reyna ng Aliwan pageant has produced some of the loveliest ladies who have gone on to make a name for themselves.
Foremost of these are Miss Philippines Earth 2014 Jamie Herrell, who was crowned Reyna ng Aliwan in 2013 after representing the Sinulog festival of Cebu; and Miss Earth 2008 Karla Henry, who competed for Reyna ng Aliwan in 2006 as muse of the Himag-ulaw festival of Placer, Masbate. She placed first runner-up to Baguio City’s Vera Eumee Reiter, who herself won as Mutya ng Pilipinas that same year.
Cebu scored an additional international win with 2012 Aliwan festival queen Angeli Dionne Gomez, who won Miss Tourism International in 2014. Meanwhile, Reyna ng Aliwan 2008 Mary Jean Lastimosa, who represented the Kadayawan festival of Davao, was named Binibining Pilipinas Universe 2014; and Reyna ng Aliwan 2011 Rogelie Catacutan was crowned Binibining Pilipinas Supranational 2015.
Miss Eco Philippines 2017 Cynthia Thomalla (Reyna ng Aliwan 2016) will compete at the Miss Eco International pageant in Egypt this month. Binibining Pilipinas-International 2018 Ma. Ahtisa Manalo (who won second runner-up in Reyna ng Aliwan 2017) will represent the country at the Miss International competition in Japan later this year.
Other Aliwan Fiesta standouts who are now in the modeling world are Kim Ross de los Santos, Alexandra Faith Garcia, Andrea Fe Gomez, Apriel Smith and Reyna ng Aliwan 2015 Stephanie Joy Abellanida of North Cotabato, who also participated in the recent Binibining Pilipinas beauty pageant.
On April 27, as the Aliwan Fiesta unfolds its search for the newest batch of Festival Queens, gorgeous ladies from the provinces are expected to bring their best onstage to promote the beauty of their respective festivals.
Early registrants included Karla O’Hara of Baguio City, Chanel Corpuz of Abra, Joy Barcoma of Tarlac, Lady Justerinnie Santos and Micaela Manuel of Bulacan, Radhell Berbon, Ella Mariz Cayabyab and Ashanti Shane Ervas of Quezon Province, Maristela Santiago of Antipolo, Joyce Marie Sebio of Antique, Keziah Bartolome of Iloilo, Jackie Ruth Urongan of Zamboanga del Norte, Bianca Iraham of Zamboanga del Sur, Arl Benquerigo of Sarangani, Novie Shane Leonerio and Elizabeth Bills of General Santos City, Sharifa Akeel of Sultan Kudarat and Chrislyn Jabonero of North Cotabato.
This year’s Reyna ng Aliwan winner will receive P100,000 plus gifts in kind, and the opportunity to travel around the country and witness the different festivals.
(For more information, visit www.aliwanfiesta.com.ph or www.facebook.com/aliwanfiestaofficial.)