Launched in 2017, Mr. and Ms. Admirable is a pageant for special persons. Two of the contestants are Chris Eden Socobos of Cebu Kiddie Center (right) and Robert Jun Watson of St. Martin de Porres Special School (left). / CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
CEBU CITY — It is a special pageant for special persons.
What started as a classroom fashion show organized by the Special Education majors of the University of San Carlos (USC) School of Education has transformed into Mr. and Ms. Admirable, a full-blown pageant featuring special education students from various institutions in Cebu.
Jana Belle Rojas, president of USC’s Special Education Students’ Organization (SPEDSO), said Mr. and Ms. Admirable aims to promote inclusion and highlight that special persons are beautiful in their own unique ways.
Rojas said the pageant started in 2017.
They invited special education schools in Cebu to participate in the pageant to raise awareness about the children’s special condition. The contestants are 18 years old and above.
Over the last three years, Rojas said they also witnessed how the pageant developed the confidence of the contestants.
Rojas said this year’s slogan is #RedefiningBeautyandAbility.
“Through this event, we can show to everyone that disability is never inability and these kids have been telling us that for a very long time,” she said.
The eight contestants of Mr. and Ms. Admirable hail from four different special education schools. They are set to compete for the title on April 7, 2019 at the SM City Cebu Event Center (food court area). / celr