Mariafe Loayon is joining another beauty pageant competition the Miss Philippines Earth 2019. | Contributed photo
Cebuana beauty queen Mariafe Loayon is up for another challenge this year.
Loayon is back to the national pageantry as she is about to represent the town of San Remigio in northern Cebu for Miss Philippines Earth 2019.
“I have to admit that being exposed in a national event is indeed big learning (experience). But I believe that the accumulation of different experiences that I have been through both good and bad in life molded me into a distinct individual which would be my true advantage over others,” she told Cebu Daily News Digital.
The 20-year-old beauty queen was the lone Cebuana who made it to the Mutya ng Pilipinas 2018 and finished Top 12 in the competition.
Read more: Four title holders from Cebu to compete in Binibining Sibugay 2019
Other titles she won were Miss Santa Catarina 2019, Binibining Mabolo Ambassadress of Disaster Awareness 2018, Binibining Labangon Eco-Warrior 2018, Binibining Looc San Remigio 2018, and Miss City Mall 2017.
Loayon is an advocate of no plastic policy in micro-enterprise or small scale businesses.
“Big establishments have already incorporated the use of paper bags and eco-bags for the purchase of goods but looking at the micro-enterprise, this is not yet strictly implemented,” she said.
Based on her observation, every barangay has a lot of sari-sari stores and public markets that still use single-use of plastics.
“If you put all of these stores that have single-use plastic together, huge amounts of a plastic garbage can be collected,” she added.
She also encourages the public to use baskets or reusable bags in going to sari-sari stores and public markets to lessen the use of plastics.
Miss Philippines Earth is a national pageant that promotes environmental awareness and protection.
Loayon is the second Cebuano who is officially part of the 2019 competition after Talisay City’s Princess Bajamonde announced her participation last March.
Cebu has produced two Miss Earth winners and they are Jamie Herrell (2014) and Karla Henry (2008)./dbs