Tracy Maureen Perez

Another Cebuana wins a 2021 national crown

By Earl D.C. Bracamonte

Tracy Maureen Perez of Cebu City bested 42 other aspirants to emerge as the country's bet to the Miss World finals on Dec. 16 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The young industrial engineer also won as Miss Bluewater Day Spa, Miss Artopian Internationale,  Miss DermFix, and the Best in Swimsuit (Miss Bench Body), and Miss Bench earlier in the evening. Tracy's prize package included Php 500,000 in cash, a Php 2-million management contract with ALV Productions, and a Php500,000 movie contract, among others.

Like Rabiya Mateo who fell during her farewell walk, Tracy, likewise, slipped and fell during her first walk as Miss World Philippines 2021 but quickly rose to her feet, with the assistance of Sen. Miguel Zubiri and national director Arnold L. Vegafria, to join the other queens for the photo opportunity.

Kapamilya singer-actress Emmanuelle Vera was proclaimed Reina Hispanoamericana Filipinas and will fly to Bolivia on October 18 for the international finals. Vera also won the Head-to-Head Challenge and was named Miss Deity Serum.

Aklan's Kathleen Paton was crowned Miss Eco Philippines and was proclaimed Miss Photogenic; while Parañaque's Tatiana Austria was named Miss Eco Teen Philippines and will compete in Cairo, Egypt early next year.

Another Cebuana, Shaila Rebortera, was proclaimed Miss Multinational Philippines. She was also named Miss WeProvideInk by corporate sponsors.

Tricia Martinez of Pila, Laguna was crowned Miss Tourism Philippines and will be competing in Lebanon next year. She also won as Miss Tyro Sports and the Cathy Valencia Best Skin award, aside from winning the Top Model fast track challenge.

Quezon City's Michelle Arceo was crowned the country's first winner of Miss Environment Philippines and will compete in India for the international title. She was also proclaimed as Miss GAOC and the Best in Talent.

Riana Pangindian of Bocaue, Bulacan, who won the Beach Beauty challenge and Miss Pacquiao Coffee honors, was proclaimed 1st Princess; while Kawit, Cavite's Ganiel Krishnan, who won the Beauty by Teviant and Multimedia fast track challenges, was declared 2nd Princess.

This year's selection committee was comprised of presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, Arvin Antipolo, Celeste Reyes, Teejay Marquez, Elise Joson, Christine Montano, Mike Atayde, David Licauco, Ana Vicente, Jose Marie Abacan, Comm. Aldwin Alegre, Cong. Mitos Magsaysay, Renato Lim, Sen. Bong Revilla, Albert Corniaoan, and Sen. Miguel Zubiri, as chairman of the panel of judges.

This year's batch of 45 delegates was trimmed down to 43, with the exclusion of Dindi Joy Pajares who was appointed as Miss Supranational Philippines, and Pauline Robles of San Pablo, Laguna who withdrew on the eve of the competition due to her medical studies.

Dindi, as one of the titleholders, was given her formal crowning moment.

The competition started with the girls in a production number with outgoing queens Michelle Dee (Miss World-Philippines 2019), Maria Katrina Llegado (Reina Hispanoamericana Filipinas 2019), and Roberta Tamondong (Miss Eco Teen International 2020) in parfait-colored mini-dresses of egg yellow, powder blue, rose pink, peach, and mint green. The contestants then paraded in identical printed two-piece bikinis from Bench Body, prior to the Evening Gown competition.

The other ladies who made it to the Top 15 were Gwendolyn Furniol (Himamaylan City), Julie Tarrayo (Northern Samar), Lea Macapagal (Dinalupihan, Bataan), Ann Palmares (Iloilo - who won the National Costume challenge), Janelle Lewis (Angeles, Pampanga - who won Miss Silka), and Danica Dilla (Iriga City - who won Best in Evening Gown).

The other winners from the Fast Track challenges were Joy Barcoma of Mandaluyong (Beauty with a Purpose), Daena Joy Tempra of Misamis Oriental (Sports), and Samela Godin (Goodwill Ambassador). The other ladies who were part of the Top 24 were Anna de Mesa (Batangas), Natasha Jung (Tacloban), Joanne Flores (Laguna), Megan Campbell (Lapu-Lapu City), Asha Gutierrez (Taguig), and Shannen Manzano (Quezon City).

The Philippines' Megan Lynn Young won the elusive Miss World crown in 2013, after near victories by Evangeline Pascual (1st runner-up, 1973), Sharmaine Ruffa Gutierrez (2nd Princess, 1993), Gwendolyn Ruais (1st runner-up, 2011), as well as impressive Top 5 finishes by Maria Rafaela Yunon (2003), Maria Karla Bautista (2004), and, three years after Megan, by Catriona Gray in 2016.

Hosted by Xian Lim, Alyssa Muhlach, and RJ Ledesma, the over four-hours of tedious programming was live-streamed through the ktx.ph platform from the Subic Bay Exhibition & Convention Center in Olongapo City. The Miss World Philippines 2021 final show will be broadcast on the GMA-7 network on Sunday, Oct. 10.

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Images screenshot from ktx livestream, as well as Facebook post of Kagandahang Flores, and Instagram accounts of Aces & Queens, Kathleen Paton, and Trisha Martinez