By Ariel Allosada Allera
ariel_allera@yahoo.com

The Pacific Grand Ballroom of the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino will experience an illustrious night of glitz and glamour, pomp and pageantry, as past Miss Cebu beauties witness the quest for their 25th successor, the young lady whose crown will be relinquished by reigning queen Sian Elizabeth Maynard.

Celebrating its Silver Anniversary, the Miss Cebu continues to search for no less than the most exceptional lady that best defines the authentic characteristic of what a lovely Cebuana is, and how she lives up to her platform to make Cebu an even more captivating city both to come by and to live in.

For 25 years, this pageant has maintained its world-class production that can allegedly never even be compared with any of the major national beauty contests in Manila, much less its high-end presentation of its official candidates to spectators walking on the red carpets — consistently, quite a number of whom are members of Cebu’s elite. Because the event is one of the highlights of the annual Sinulog festivity, a lot of tourists from both overseas and other parts of the country are customarily expected to come and watch.

To be telecast live on Studio 23 at 8:00 PM on January 14 (Wednesday), the 2009 Search for Miss Cebu (spearheaded by Cebu City Tourism Commission) will likewise pay tribute to Cebuana beauties who, in their respective current fields of endeavor, have made an exceptional mark, thus giving us Cebuanos 25 years (and beyond) of reason to be proud of our heritage. One of these is Miss Cebu 2006 second runner-up Karla Henry, the very first Filipina to have captured the Miss Earth crown, so far the one and only Cebuana to have won an international beauty title.

This year’s roster of candidates holds a promise of another exemplary lady who will serve as an ambassador of goodwill, a spokesmodel for young Cebuanas, a voice of Cebu to the world.

Twelve equally smart and charming candidates are vying for this year’s Miss Cebu crown and the Silver scepter as a token of her being the 25th loveliest Cebuana.

Candidate # 1 Ana Coritha Desamparado
Birthdate: May 16, 1990 Height: 5′4″ Weight: 108lbs. School: University of the Philippines

Candidate # 2 Sheda Lynn Dusaban
Birthdate: October 10, 1988 Height: 5′4″ Weight: 110lbs. School: Cebu Institute of Technology

Candidate # 3 Christine Tan
Birthdate: December 1, 1983 Height: 5′4″ Weight: 110lbs. School: Cebu Normal University

Candidate # 4 Nadia Claire Urbino
Birthdate: December 20, 1989 Height: 5′4″ Weight: 90lbs School: University of San Jose-Recoletos

Candidate # 5 Tara France Oliver
Birthdate: October 5, 1988 Height: 5′4 1/2″ Weight: 102lbs School: University of San Carlos

Candidate # 6 Ethel Bitoon
Birthdate: November 23, 1984 Height: 5′5″ Weight: 109lbs. Company: LEXMARK Research & Development Corporation

Candidate # 7 Phoebe Kaye Fernandez
Birthdate: November 16, 1987 Height: 5′5 1/2″ Weight: 105lbs. School: University of San Carlos

Candidate # 8 Kimberley Therese Burden
Birthdate: September 7, 1989 Height: 5′6 1/2″ Weight: 120lbs. School: Cebu Doctors’ University

Candidate # 9 Michelle Iva “Isa” Eguia
Birthdate: March 28, 1988 Height: 5′7″ Weight: 110lbs. School: Centre for International Education

Candidate # 10 Angela Grace Alibanon
Birthdate: April 26, 1988 Height: 5′8″ Weight: 120lbs. School: Cebu Doctors’ University

Candidate # 11 Rizzini Alexis Gomez
Birthdate: August 29, 1990 Height: 5′8″ Weight: 118lbs School: University of Cebu

Candidate # 12 Kris Tiffany Janson
Birthdate: December 21, 1989 Height: 5′8″ Weight: 118lbs. School: University of San Carlos