With reigning Miss Earth Palawan 2021 Xena Bunio backing out of the Miss Earth Philippines competition, El Nido’s Daena Yapparcon will be representing Palawan in this year’s pageant.
Yapparcon will be joining Puerto Princesa City’s Roceanne Bonggat in the environmentally-conscious beauty pageant.
Bonggat, a 21-year-old third year BS Entrepreneurship student at San Beda College-Alabang, says she is ready to face the challenges of the competition and believes that winning in the pageant will put not only herself but the city on a pedestal.
In an interview with Palawan News, Bonggat said she is ready to ramp up at the national stage and vie for the title of Miss Earth Philippines and bring the crown home.
“With this platform, I can help further maintain and enhance the city’s clean and green movement along with my advocacy towards a sustainable environment,” Bonggat said.
“I always believe that beauty must also be purposeful, where one must give focus in contributing towards optimistic change in our community, then the country. Today’s epitome of beauty is not only about caring for oneself, but also to those that surrounds her, living or non-living; keeping in mind their existence still matter,” she explained.
She also considers her representation of Puerto Princesa City an advantage over the other candidates.
“The City of Puerto Princesa is known around the world, through its commitment towards preservation of nature and sustainable development. The commitment of the locals toward the clean and green programs implemented in the City is what I would consider my advantage, because I am blessed to live in such majestic paradise along with people who show the initiative to maintain Puerto Princesa’s tagline as the “City in a Forest,” she said.
Asked to describe herself, she simply said she is an ordinary “probinsyana girl”.
“I wouldn’t give such elusive descriptions about myself, as I am also human. Perhaps the best way to describe me is that I am a very low-key person who loves to read a lot of novels and visit beaches to take a breather,” she said.
“Just like another kid with a dream of becoming a beauty queen in the future, I am just an ordinary woman; with a vision of making a difference for the betterment of our society,” she added.
She also likened herself to water as she says it has surrounded her all her life.
“Water has always been a favorite element of mine as it is very close to who I am as a whole. I have been near water all my life, and even took swimming as a sport growing up. It is also our universal solvent, so we have to protect it by all means because water is one of the essential sources of life,” she explained further.
Joining a beauty pageant is not new to her, however, as she had already joined beauty pageants such as the Mutya ng Malagnang 2019 in San Vicente town where she emerged first runner up and also made it to the Miss Palawan 2020 top 10.
She was born on January 21, 2000, in Puerto Princesa City but her family lives in Barangay Caruray, San Vicente.
She is currently being trained by Thom Favila of Team Elitista Circle of Models in preparation for the Miss Earth Philippines. Organizers have yet to announce the date and venue of the pageant.
