With the prohibition of mass gathering still imposed to stop the spread of COVID-19, Miss Earth Philippines is holding its 2020 edition remotely.
Just like the preliminary cultural attire (national costume) competition, the pageant pushes through but virtually or via online communication.
The first ever online beauty pageant activity in the country, or perhaps, anywhere else in the world, had 50.8 thousand concurrent viewers (or the number of viewers while the show is live streamed) and was also shown on El John TV in Indonesia.
Hosted in Manila by Miss Earth 2015 Angelia Gabrena Ong and streamed live on the official Facebook of the Miss Earth Philippines Organization, the candidates were judged each after their video presentation, recorded live from their respective homes or location. The judges cast their votes after making their comments directly to the contestants.
Ong announced the winners at the end of the three-hour online show. Gold medal winner was Isobel Teano of Opol, Misamis Oriental, for her Kuyamis-inspired cultural attire created by designer Jie-jie Aisa; silver went to Rizza Paula Infante of La Castellana, Negros Occidental for her Banana Festival-inspired costume by Rhymyla Nicol-Mangilimutan and Roda Semillano; and the bronze bagged by Ilyssa Marie Mendoza of Fil-Community of Melbourne, Australia designed by Dee Jay Abustan and Roy Erwin Tizon, inspired by the Lucban Band Stage “Kiosko”.
The board of judges included Miss Earth Indonesia 2019 Cinthia Rani, designer and educator Eric Pineda, Fashion Designers Association of the Philippines 3rd president Barge Ramos, couture jewelry designer Jerry Sunga, and Manila Standard pageant columnist and national awardee 2019 Eton Concepcion.
Celebrating its two decades of existence, Lorraine Schuck, executive vice-president of Carousel Productions, presentor of Miss Earth Philippines pageant, said it was a great challenge to the organization to hold this year’s edition amid the pandemic.
Watch the Miss Earth Philippines 2020 Grand Coronation today at 10:00 a.m. on GMA.