Mr. & Ms. Press freedom

It's no secret the writers of this column share a common passion for pageantry, and what better way to showcase that than by organizing and directing the recently concluded Mr.&Ms. Press Freedom 2012. The stage was set at Harold'sHotel, at the stunning rooftop bar Highlights where four women and two men vied for the title.

As titleholders, we have always been so used to being at the front and competing with fellow candidates. It was so refreshing to finally be the actual organizers for such a fierce competition. Fierce is the word I choose, because never have we seen such an outstanding display of wit, intelligence and charismatic answers during the Q&A portion. We have much pretty seen it all in our years of being beauty queens, from some of the most memorable answers to the ones, which have caused YouTube videos to go viral. Last Saturday night however, the candidates amazed us with their head-on attack to the questions that were directed to them. These questions were no walk in the park and weren't to be taken lightly, because this year the questions were given by no less than well-known media personalities like Karen Davila, Mel Tiangco, Paolo Bediones, Ginger Conejero, Boy Abunda and Ricky Lo.

The crowd responded with great enthusiasm as they cheered for their favorite candidates, but nothing compared to the reception they gave GMA 7's Asia's Power Trio La Diva as they serenaded the crowd during their intermission number. Also gracing the pageant were stars of Sana Ay Ikaw Na Nga, GMA 7's Mikael Daez and Andrea Torres as they showed their support for the Press Freedom Week. Daez holds the event close to his heart, as he is a writer himself.

Cebu being the only city that celebrates Press Freedom Week in the country, so we were both honored and humbled to take on the task of directing the pageant. We believe in the power of the media, and more so of the dedication and passion local media here in Cebu has. We congratulate the winners (from The FREEMAN) Grace Lacamiento and (from Cebu Daily News) Edd Buenaviaje. Happy Press Freedom Week to all!