Miss Mandaue 2017 Ralphiela Lewis (right) crowns Miss Mandaue 2018 Gabriella Ceniza Carballo.
A NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD nursing student from Cebu Doctors’ University (CDU) is Mandaue City’s muse for 2018.
Candidate No. 12 Gabriella Ceniza Carballo was crowned Miss Mandaue 2018 at a gala show held at the Mandaue Cultural and Sports Complext last Sunday, May 6.
Carballo bested 11 ladies in the pageant to succeed Miss Mandaue 2017 Ralphiela Lewis.
In the critical Q&A portion of the contest, the Top 6 candidates composed of Carballo, candidate No. 11 Nicole Borromeo, candidate No. 12 Regine Garcia, candidate No. 10 Phoebe Godinez, candidate No. 8 Frances Jade Pino, and candidate No. 1 Charyzah Esparrago were asked the same question with one minute to answer.
The question was: “As a young woman with an advocacy, which of the following do you think would be the best vehicle for you and advance your cause. Being Miss Mandaue 2018 or being the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Chairman of your barangay?”
Carballo answered, “I am here in front of you vying for this position so I can spread word of my advocacy, which is environmental sanitation of Mandaue City. I will do this by conducting classes to make people aware of the problem that we must address. We always see traffic as one of our main problems, but the concern we don’t really push for is environmental sanitation. If you all allow me to be your Miss Mandaue 2018, I vow to aid the Mandaue City government in their classes and cleanups. I promise to be there, me in regular clothes, no makeup, no heels. I will help clean Mandaue’s streets because I believe that a cleaner city is a healthier city and healthy minds make healthy change.”
Carballo received P100,000 cash as Miss Mandaue 2018.
She also had the most number of special awards including Best in Funwear, Texter’s Choice Awards, Miss Maayo, Best in Runway, Miss Sky Cable, and Best in Evening Gown.
Completing Carballo’s court are Borromeo, who was proclaimed first runner-up and Garcia as second runner-up.
Best in Evening Gown – Candidate No. 12 Gabriella Carballo
Borromeo and Garcia received cash prizes of P50,000 and P30,000, respectively.
Carballo believes that time management and attending daily rehearsals prepared her for the pageant.
“The thought that we’ve been practicing every single day somehow made me calm on pageant night. In our rehearsals we kept doing the same thing. Staying composed is important,” she added.
What’s next, Miss Mandaue?
“I will focus on my reign but I also want to finish school. It’s not easy, but I will balance studies and Miss Mandaue. Possibly Binibining Pilipinas in the future, but we will see how things go,” Carballo said.
Carballo was born in Florida but her family comes from Mandaue City.
Miss Mandaue 2018 is Carballo’s first beauty title outside school.
She was Miss Valentine’s 2017 and Miss Nursing 2016 first runner-up in CDU.
However, she is not the first beauty queen in the family.
Carballo is the niece of Miss Cebu Tourism 1991 Vita Grace “Golda” Ceniza-Villanueva.
Asked if she has plans to represent Mandaue City in Binibining Cebu 2018, she answered, “I am not thinking about it yet because I want to finish school. School is my main priority now.”
Lawyer Regal Oliva, Mandaue City Treasurer and executive director of Miss Mandaue pageant also confirmed in an interview that Mandaue City has no official candidate yet for Binibining Cebu 2018.
“The winner of Miss Mandaue is not automatically the candidate for Binibining Cebu. Miss Mandaue still maintains that it is an institution. No other beauty pageant can dictate what Miss Mandaue pageant committee may decide on,” Oliva told reporters.
Miss Mandaue 2018 Top 6 candidates
Tough batch, pageant night
Oliva said that this year is “one of the toughest batches” of the Miss Mandaue pageant.
“We are very sad that we had to select only three winners. All of them deserve the crown jud. They are all beautiful, intelligent and graceful,” Oliva added.
The pageant was directed by Patricio “Junjet” Primor Jr.
The pageant opened with a Rio Carnival inspired production number where the 12 candidates wore a Brazilian inspired resort wear designed by Jul Oliva.
It was followed by a swimsuit competition, with the girls wearing pieces by Alejandro Godinez Jr.
Borromeo won the Best in Swimsuit award.
A runway competition was also held where candidates paraded creations of Philip Rodriguez.
Carballo took home the Best in Runway award.
For the long gown competition, the stage had a Japanese theme and the candidates wore cherry blossoms inspired gowns by Cebu’s top designers.
Carballo got the Best in Evening Gown award while designer Irven Lisen was awarded as Best Dest Award for Evening Gown worn by candidate No. 10 Phoebe Godinez.
Miss Mandaue 2018’s panel of judges were Amado Go, Laurie Boquiren, Dr. Randolph Libres, Apriel Smith, Karla Bautista Siao, Stanley Go, Marylou Ngo-Ang and Philip Rodriguez.
Among the entertainers during the show were Kapamilya actor Ejay Falcon, “Pilipinas Got Talent” (PGT) Season 6 and singing trio Maka Girls, and Sinulog Idol Season 9 Aki Omega.
The pageant was hosted by ABS-CBN Cebu’s Phoebe Kaye Fernandez, Miss Mandaue 2012 Nicole Tuazon, and Jonathan Cimafranca.
The full list of Special Awards:
Best in Talent – Candidate No. 9 Ma. Angelica Pantaliano
Media’s Choice Award – Candidate No. 10 Phoebe Godinez
Miss Congeniality – Candidate No. 1 Charyzah Esparrago
Miss Photogenic – Candidate No. 10 Phoebe Godinez
Miss Professionalism – Candidate No. 11 Nicole Borromeo
Miss Fitness – Candidate No. 9 Ma. Angelica Pantaliano
Best in Funwear – Candidate No. 12 Gabriella Carballo
Texter’s Choice Award by Smart – Candidate No. 12 Gabriella Carballo
Miss Maayo – Candidate No. 12 Gabriella Carballo
Best in Runway – Candidate No. 12 Gabriella Carballo
Miss Sky Cable – Candidate No. 12 Gabriella Carballo
Miss Michelle’s Wines – Candidate No. 10 Phoebe Godinez
Miss Air Asia – Candidate No. 11 Nicole Borromeo
Best in Swimsuit – Candidate No. 11 Nicole Borromeo
Best in Evening Gown- Candidate No. 12 Gabriella Carballo
Best Designer Award for Evening Gown – Irvin Lisen worn by No. 10 Phoebe Godinez