Tuesday, August 05, 2008 US-based beauty titlist donates P140T to NGO
MASANTOL -- A titleholder of a pageant held by Filipino-Americans in the United States has returned to her home province to provide a glimmer of hope to her cabalens.
Fifteen-year-old Samantha Rosemarie Sunga recently won the title Ms Teen Philippines USA in a pageant organized by Filipinos expatriates in cooperation with the Angel Mission Rescue, a social service organization in the US.
Sunga bested other Filipino candidates in the said beauty contest that aims to raise funds for various non-government projects and beneficiaries of Angel Mission Rescue in the Philippines.
"I am proud of my Kapampangan heritage and winning the competition was a way of promoting our local culture and helping our cabalens," Sunga said.
Sunga, along with her family who have been staying in the US for 19 years, went home last week to hand over a check worth P140,000 to the Lingap Kabalen, a local organization in this town. The said amount forms part of the proceeds from the Ms Teen Philippines USA.
The Lingap Kabalen is a new organization here that aims to provide help to combat malnutrition among the local population. It is also the organization selected by Samantha to become a beneficiary organization as part of the mechanics of the pageant.
Other beneficiaries of the pageant are the V. Luna Medical Hospital and the Quiapo Foundation in Manila.
Local residents of the town welcomed the teenage beauty titlist in a simple program over the weekend.
Sunga also paid a courtesy call to Governor Eddie Panlilio Monday morning.
Samantha's mother said she was proud of the achievements of her daughter.
She and her family will return to the US by the end of the month. (IOF)
