Marizza Delgado

Pinay model is NY rep to Miss Earth USA 2022

By Earl D.C. Bracamonte

After the introduction of the 88 delegates in the virtual edition of this year's Miss Earth search, through the "Getting to Know You" series, the candidates are currently undergoing the "Personality" series in batches of five.

Concurrent to the personality check series is the presentation of individual talents. The singing category and the creative talents - which included visual arts like painting and sculpture, instrument playing like the flute and piano, poetry and soliloquy - have been rolled out. Next that presented their pieces were those in the Dancing category.

With the 2021 Miss Earth search in full swing and its ultimate winner crowned on Nov 21, the city of New York has already crowned its state winner for the Miss Earth USA 2022 pageant. The winner is Pinay model Marizza Delgado, whose name, except for the double z's, sounds similar to Filipino character actress, Marissa Delgado, albeit the latter's name is spelled with a double s.

The 22-year-old model from New York's One Management agency is not new to the world of pageantry. She was crowned as Miss Pacific Coast Teen USA 2017, prior to winning the state title.

Her Kapampangan mother and Manilan father both immigrated to the US, and Marizza was born and raised in California where the family relocated to. As a model, she has done campaign work for brands like H&M, L'Oreal, Walmart, and Kohls, as well as two seasons on the New York Fashion Week.

"Modeling has definitely helped with my onstage presence - although high fashion and pageant runway walks are totally different styles. And vice versa, the confidence I gained through pageantry directly translates to when I'm on the set," said the full-blooded Filipino model during an online interview with a fashion magazine.

When not under the kleighlights, Marizza is a data scientist for the American e-commerce site, Etsy, under the Product Analytics Team.

"I'm promoting awareness and social responsibility to protect our environment. My platform #VeganForAReason is to promote a vegan lifestyle and show how accessible a healthy, ethical plant-based diet can do for the planet, and to reduce our carbon footprint for the environment, animals, and future generations," she continued.

The United States won its first Miss Earth crown with Lindsey Coffey in last year's virtual edition. This year, the US is ably represented by a lovely earth warrior from the state of Maine, Marisa Butler.

"If I left the modeling industry with more inclusiveness and diversity, then I've left my legacy," enthused Marizza.