MISS CEBU 2009: Who will be the 25th loveliest Cebuana?

The Pacific Grand Ballroom of the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino will experience an illustrious night of glitz and glamour, pomp and pageantry, as past Miss Cebu beauties witness the quest for their 25th successor, the young lady whose crown will be relinquished by reigning queen Sian Elizabeth Maynard.

Celebrating its Silver Anniversary, the Miss Cebu continues to search for no less than the most exceptional lady that best defines the authentic characteristic of what a lovely Cebuana is, and how she lives up to her platform to make Cebu an even more captivating city both to visit and to live in.

For 25 years, this pageant has maintained its world-class production that can allegedly never even be compared with any of the major national beauty contests in Manila, much less its high-end presentation of its official candidates to spectators walking on the red carpets — consistently, quite a number of whom are members of Cebu’s elite. Because the event is one of the highlights of the annual Sinulog festivity, a lot of tourists from both overseas and other parts of the country are customarily expected to come and watch.

To be telecast live on Studio 23 at 8:00 PM on January 14 (Wednesday), the 2009 Search for Miss Cebu (spearheaded by Cebu City Tourism Commission) will likewise pay tribute to Cebuana beauties who, in their respective current fields of endeavor, have made an exceptional mark, thus giving us Cebuanos 25 years (and beyond) of reason to be proud of our heritage. One of these is Miss Cebu 2006 second runner-up Karla Henry, the very first Filipina to have captured the Miss Earth crown, so far the one and only Cebuana to have won an international beauty title.

This year’s roster of candidates holds a promise of another exemplary lady who will serve as an ambassador of goodwill, a spokesmodel for young Cebuanas, a voice of Cebu to the world.

Twelve equally smart and charming candidates are vying for this year’s Miss Cebu crown and the Silver scepter as a token of her being the 25th loveliest Cebuana.

Candidate # 1 Ana Coritha Desamparado

Birthdate: May 16, 1990

Height: 5’4"

Weight: 108lbs.

School: University of the Philippines

Candidate # 2 Sheda Lynn Dusaban

Birthdate: October 10, 1988

Height: 5’4"

Weight: 110lbs.

School: Cebu Institute of Technology

Candidate # 3 Christine Tan

Birthdate: December 1, 1983

Height: 5’4"

Weight: 110lbs.

School: Cebu Normal University

Candidate # 4 Nadia Claire Urbino

Birthdate: December 20, 1989

Height: 5’4"

Weight: 90lbs

School: University of San Jose-Recoletos

Candidate # 5 Tara France Oliver

Birthdate: October 5, 1988

Height: 5’4 1/2"

Weight: 102lbs

School: University of San Carlos

Candidate # 6 Ethel Bitoon

Birthdate: November 23, 1984

Height: 5’5"

Weight: 109lbs.

Company: LEXMARK Research & Development Corporation

Candidate # 7 Phoebe Kaye Fernandez

Birthdate: November 16, 1987

Height: 5’5 1/2"

Weight: 105lbs.

School: University of San Carlos

Candidate # 8 Kimberley Therese Burden

Birthdate: September 7, 1989

Height: 5’6 1/2"

Weight: 120lbs.

School: Cebu Doctors’ University

Candidate # 9 Michelle Iva “Isa” Eguia

Birthdate: March 28, 1988

Height: 5’7"

Weight: 110lbs.

School: Centre for International Education

Candidate # 10 Angela Grace Alibanon

Birthdate: April 26, 1988

Height: 5’8"

Weight: 120lbs.

School: Cebu Doctors’ University

Candidate # 11 Rizzini Alexis Gomez

Birthdate: August 29, 1990

Height: 5’8"

Weight: 118lbs

School: University of Cebu

Candidate # 12 Kris Tiffany Janson

Birthdate: December 21, 1989

Height: 5’8"

Weight: 118lbs.

School: University of San Carlos