Kapampangan beauty Silvana Rauch was crowned Miss Subaraw 2019 during Friday’s coronation night at the Puerto Princesa City Coliseum.
Rauch bested 29 other beauty candidates representing Palawan towns and other provinces in the national pageant search of the Subaraw Biodiversity Festival 2019.
Miss Subaraw 2018 Sahara Senta Wagner turned over the crown to Rauch, 21, during the coronation event that was also witnessed by thousands of Palaweños live on social media.
“I really didn’t expect it because there were a lot of contestants and it was really tough in the last couple of days because I wasn’t feeling well. But I was able to cope because of the people of Palawan,” she said in an interview with Palawan News after the coronation.
Shara Maxine Barber of Palawan State University won as the first runner up and Danielle Isabelle Dolk from Laguna as 2nd runner-up.
Rauch said she wants to be an environmental advocate, especially in the promotion and conservation of biodiversity.
“I want to be an advocate for the environment, especially on biodiversity because it is really saddening na ‘yong mga tao ay hindi nila binibigyan ng importansya ang ecosystem, and I saw this pageant as a platform,” she said.
Rauch said that she is not new in Palawan as she already visited the Puerto Princesa Underground River four years ago during a college field trip.
Rauch, who graduated last March, is now pursuing her business in the clothing line and permanent make-up venture after taking up a course in tourism management.
Coming from Angeles, Pampanga, Rauch said that she could use her crown to invite her fellow Kapampangan to visit Puerto Princesa and encourage other beauty queens to join the next Subaraw pageant as it levels up to the international stage.
“In Pampanga, hindi kami ganoon ka-blessed sa biodiversity but we really have a lot of adventures and, of course, it’s also the food capital of the Philippines,” she said.
“Pagbalik ko doon with the crown, magagamit ko siya na makapag-invite ng mga tao na pumunta dito sa Puerto Princesa. Dahil plan din nila na gawin international pageant ito, hihikayatin ko rin sila,” she said.
Rauch also saw Miss Subaraw 2019 is a training ground for her future journey in pageantry.
She also won the special awards Miss SM Store and Miss Microtel.
