TAGUM City crowned a new ambassadress of goodwill and advocacy.
 |
| Beauty with brains, The 2015 Mutya ng Tagum Jane Irish Mae Duque |
Early in the pageant, Candidate number 8, Jane Irish Mae Duque, was not a recipient of any of the numerous special awards, the early favorites, candidates 1 and 6, were. She, however, snagged the fifth slot in the Top Five of among the ten striking beauties pre-judged to compete in the 2015 MutyangTagum.
 |
| A preliminary competition. The 10 candidates in their Neo-Ethnic costumes. |
 |
| The five finalists on stage before the final round of Q&A |
It was not until the first round of the Q & A, with a question asked by a judge, that she bagged one—the Most Eloquent special award. This paved her way to taking home the coveted crown.
 |
| Great hosts make a great program. Rovic Cuasito & Caludette Centeno |
For the second round of the all-important segment, there was only one question thrown at all five candidates to answer. Tagum Mayor Alan Rellon asked, “You have one more semester to finish your college education but was offered a good job opportunity with a high salary that will need you to stop schooling. What will you do, finish schooling or accept the job and why?”
 |
| Pre-show must-do. The grand selfie on the grand night. The panel of judges with the 2014 mutya before she relinquished her crown |
Jane was the last of the five finalists to be called back on stage to answer. Direct and with confidence, she was quick to reply with “I need to finish my schooling. It is because I am very particular and I value more the education. I need to graduate because this is, for me, the key to succeed. And with that, I know education would help us a lot because this would equip us with the necessary skills and competence and talent that we need for us to be a functional member of society. And with that, we can beat the odds, bridge the gap, and we make a difference.”
 |
| And then there were 2. Moments before the announcement of the new Mutya. |
With new ratings done on a clean slate, Jane soared to the top of the judges’ scoreboard and was crowned the new Mutya ng Tagum.
 |
| The final walk of the former Mutya |
As the Governor of Davao del Norte, Rodolfo del Rosario, said, “Being an economic center of the province where business people come to visit, the work of the winner begins after the winning because she will be representing Tagum and Davao del Norte. The best representation (of Tagum) will come from this pageant.”
 |
| Gov. del Rosario & Mayor Rellon crowing the new Mutya ng Tagum |
 |
| Beautiful & intelligent, this lady deserved the crown. |
 |
| Top of the crop. The four runners-up. |
It is true what Tagum City Mayor Allan Rellon said. The night was indeed a celebration of beauty with a purpose. “The spotlight is not only on the beauties of Tagum but also on the development thrust of the local government.” In this case, it was highlighting education and the winner will be the ambassadress of this advocacy.
 |
| Tagum City Mayor Allan Rellon sharing the advocacy behind the search |
It was a difficult task for the panel of judges to pinpoint which among the ten beautiful ladies would rise above the eye-appealing quality parading before them. One of the judges, Binibining Pilipinas-International 2014 Bianca Guidotti said, “I am looking for a girl who looks confident in her own skin. A woman who knows who she is and is not afraid to show the world,” when asked what a beauty queen like herself would be looking for or considering most in judging a beauty contest.
 |
| Beauties as judges Nicole Bian with 2014 Bb. Pilipinas-International Bianca Guidotti |
The task of choosing The One became somewhat easier for the panel on the final round of the pageant. Although all the candidates gave replies worthy of the crown, one girl stood above the rest. The city found what it was searching for.
Congratulations Jane Duque. Congratulations Tagum City.
Congratulations Jane Duque. Congratulations Tagum City.
 |
| Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario, Jackie Garcia-Dizon & Anthony Ang |
 |
| Event organizer Anthony Ang, judge Jackie Dizon & City Tourism Officer Noel Dacquioag |
*****
[For more lifestyle & travel stories, visit http://apples-and-lemons.blogspot.com/ andhttp://jeepneyjinggoy.blogspot.com/]
Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on December 04, 2015.
.jpg)
