ASEAN showcase

CEBU, Philippines - This year’s Miss Cebu theme will carry the Cebu City Tourism Commission’s banner campaign “What’s New in Old Cebu?” in line with Cebu City having been declared an ASEAN City of Culture early of last year for its heritage and creative industries.

Accordingly, the entire program at the Pacific Grand Ballroom of Waterfront Hotel and Casino will feature Cebu as a major influence in defining the distinctive ASEAN flavor in the field of the arts, particularly in fashion.

The first portion will highlight “ASEAN Resort Wear,” as interpreted by designers Rey Humberto Villegas, Pewee Senining, Hadji Godinez and Ivan Belocura. Cebu having been positioned as a major tourist drop point in the ASEAN region has developed a look of its own that can cross from one Southeast Asian resort to another, may it be Bali, Phuket or Kota Kinabalu.

From a beautiful resort setting to the dynamic metropolis, the candidates will sashay next in “ASEAN City Wear,” to aptly symbolize Cebu’s role as a major player in the region’s business activity and contribution in molding a distinctive Southeast Asian city wear. William Manahan, Barbie Alvez and Edwin Ao are the featured designers for this segment.

The last and most important part, as these are the gowns the ladies will be photographed in and splashed all over if they reach the top five, will be the “ASEAN Evening Wear” portion. Evening gown designers Jun Escario, Jojo Romoff, Ren Manabat, Oj Hofer, Wendell Quisido, Cary Santiago, Harley Rodeos, Arcy Gayatin, Philip Tampus, Dino Lloren, Albert Arriba and Marichu Tan took inspiration from the pre-colonial jewelry found from diggings around the Cebu area for their individual creations.

Some artists who were invited to perform and serenade the ladies are the K-Boys of ABS-CBN Cebu, Cebuano “Pilipinas Got Talent” finalist Jem Cubil and Cebuana finalist during American Idol’s Hollywood Week Monique Rae. Film and television actor Rafael Rosell will be this year’s master of ceremonies.

For the first time, a Miss Cebu primer was also shown during last Sunday’s episode of ABS-CBN’s “MagTV Na!” wherein the special feature looked into the prestigious pageant from its inception in 1984 (when it was still known as Miss Tourism-Cebu) until the present. (FREEMAN)