He deserves our effort, queen says

AN 18-year-old Filipino-American beauty was crowned Sinulog Festival Queen 2013, besting nine other lead dancers during the pageant night at the Cebu City Sports Center last Friday.

Jamie Herrell, lead dancer of Placer, Masbate’s Tribu Himag-ulaw, also won several special awards, including Best Solo Performer and Best in Opening Production Number.

“I feel so blessed and so great. It’s the biggest accomplishment I’ve had so far,” she told reporters after the pageant, which drew a large audience and was attended by Mayor Michael Rama.

Herrell, who received a cash prize of P50,000, is a second year mass communication student at the University of San Jose Recoletos in Cebu City.

She lives in Barangay Canjulao, Lapu-Lapu City, but has relatives in Placer, Masbate.

She won first runner-up in the Miss Lapu-Lapu 2012 contest last November.

Joining Herrell’s court were Mary Joy Delmo of Tangub City’s Sinanduloy Cultural Troupe (first runner-up), Caryl Soledad of Lanao del Norte (second runner-up), Maria Cassandra Yu of Talisay City (third runner-up), and Cherry Lyn Enad of Carcar City (fourth runner-up).

The panel of judges included Cinemalaya president Nestor Jardin, famous choreographer Douglas Nierras, Cultural Center of the Philippines Vice President and Artistic Director Chris Millado and reigning Miss Tourism International Rizzini Alexis Gomez.

Gomez, a former Miss Cebu runner-up, was given a plaque of recognition by the Cebu City Government and the Sinulog Foundation.

The competition started with a production number with Sinulog Festival Queen 2012 April Smith, followed by the group production presentation and then the solo performance.

Herrell won Best in Runway and Best in Group Performance, as well as several corporate awards.

Albyjane Borbon of the Barangay Basak San Nicholas’s Lumad Basakanon was adjudged most photogenic.

Rhegine Ruth Rona of Alang-Alang, Leyte won the Best Festival Costume Award, while Caryl Soledad of Lanao del Norte won Best in Festival Costume, where judges considered the way a contestant wore her outfit.

Herrell said she has been modeling on and off, because she wants to focus on her family’s dance company.

She kept her hopes low during the contest, Herrell said, adding that being able dance for the Sto. Niño was all that mattered.

“Even if I didn’t win Festival Queen, I would still dance the Sinulog,” she said. “You sacrifice all that effort and all that time just for Him, because Sto. Niño deserves all of it.”