DO YOU have what it takes to be the next ambassadress of Cebu?
The Binibining Sugbu Charity Foundation, Inc. and the Sacred Heart School for Boys Batch 1985 Foundation Inc., formally launched the search for this year’s Binibining Cebu candidates at a press conference held last
Friday at The Pyramid in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City.
Raymond Tio, chairman of the project, urged ladies to join the pageant and also local government units (LGUs) to send its official candidates.
“The candidate must have at least six months of residence in the Philippines and should have sufficient knowledge about the municipality she will represent,” Tio said.
Applicants should be at least 5″4′ tall and naturally born female citizens.
Like last year, all towns and cities in Cebu will have official candidates.
However, pageant chairman and designer Cary Santiago admits that it is a challenge to complete the ideal number of candidates.
“Hopefully with the support of LGUs we can fill all 54 slots.This year we have opened the pageant to accommodate more participants. As long as you have the residency of six months, you can be part of the pageant,” Santiago said.
He maintains that the purpose of the pageant is to promote tourism and charity works.
Interested applicants may visit the Binibining Cebu office at The Greenery on Pope John Paul II Avenue in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City.
A better Binibining Cebu 2018
Binibining Cebu, which started in 2017, aims to promote Cebuano culture, pride, and tourism.
Kenneth Lim, president of Sacred Heart School for Boys Batch 1985 said this pageant will be more organized. Lim also hopes that more LGUs will support the pageant.
Kenneth Cobonpue, creative director for Binibining Cebu, said that they want to have more Cebuano talent this year.
“We want to make it world class. We want to work with them (the performers). We are not just developing the girls. This is a celebration of Cebuano creativity,” Cobonpue said.
There will be four major activities for the Binibining Cebu 2018 pageant.
This will start with the presentation of candidates on Aug. 24 at SM Seaside City Cebu.
On Sept. 7, a Terno Competition will be held at SM Seaside City Cebu while the Swimsuit Competition is slated for Sept. 28 at the Grand Convention Center.
The coronation night is scheduled on Oct. 26 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.
The pageant will continue to have three titles: Binibining Cebu, Binibining Cebu Tourism, and Binibining Cebu Charity.
For the prizes, Binibining Cebu 2018 will take home P500,000 cash and P300,000 worth of prizes in kind.
The Binibining Cebu Tourism 2018 will receive P300,000 cash and P100,000 worth of prizes in kind. Binibining Cebu Charity will have P200,000 cash and P50,000 worth of prizes in kind.
The first runner-up will have 100,000 cash while the second runner-up will receive 75,000 cash.
Tio said that LGUs of winning candidates will also receive separate prizes.
Binibining Cebu 2017 winners
The first Binibining Cebu has produced three queens: Binibining Cebu 2017 Apriel Smith of Badian, Binibining Cebu Tourism 2017 Samantha Lo of Asturias, and Binibining Cebu Charity 2017 Maria Gigante of Bantayan.
Following their wins, the queens have been active in charity projects.
Smith organizes sport activities in the town of Badian to keep young people away from drugs.
Aside from volleyball, she plans to hold a Pinoy Olympics where she will introduce Filipino games like “takyan,” “jackstone” and “patintero.”
Lo for her part went to the town of Asturias last week and donated solar pannels.
Meanwhile, Gigante, holding a livelihood project for Bantayanons like teaching basic sewing and pattern making under Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) courses.
Other outreach activities are being done by the winners and candidates, like distributing relief goods to 700 families affected by fire in Barangay Pasil, Cebu City in January this year.
They also went to mountain barangays of Ormoc City affected by the 6.5 magnitude earthquake and distributed assistance to 1,000 families.
The Binibining Sugbo Charity Foundation Inc. also extended cash assistance and relief goods to the residents of war-torn Marawi City.