ON JUNE 29, 2019, the very first Mrs. ECO International was crowned and she is a Filipina.
Mrs. Eco Philippines Shiela Teodoro DeForest, 45, was adjudged Mrs. ECO International 2019 at the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Her court included Mrs. ECO Norway (1st runner-up), Mrs. ECO USA (2nd runner-up) and Mrs. ECO Costa Rica (3rd runner-up).
In the final question round, when asked how she will integrate the programs of other countries who may not share her own perspective, Shiela replied, “I have had the opportunity to travel to 55 countries and I have seen that environmental issues could be similar or a little bit different. But at the end of the day, it all comes back to nature and how we take care of our environment. If I win, I will do my best to represent the organization and advocate to protect the environment.”
Shiela also won the Best ECO Costume, Best ECO Video, and Charitable Giving (for raising the most funds for the beauty organization’s charity arm) awards on her way to clinching the Mrs. ECO International 2019 title.
Shiela wore a blue satin terno for the ECO costume category that was accentuated by cut outs from used tetra packs. The design was inspired by the Philippine Flag. The terno was made in collaboration with Mrs. Asuncion Sanchez, a retired elementary school teacher from Pagsanjan, Laguna and Kababaihan Iisang Layunin Umunlad ang Sambayanan (KILUS) in Pasig City for the upcycled tetra juice packs. KILUS is a 500 strong women organization that aims in helping clean up Mother Earth and providing livelihood to its less fortunate members.
Shiela’s ECO video, shot primarily in Baguio City, highlighted the environmental challenges besetting the summer resort. The video also showed how these environmental problems are slowly creeping in to the province of Benguet.
Shiela is a Tourism graduate of the University of the Philippines. She started out as ramp model locally and internationally. She was one of the models for the North America launch of the Wow Philippines campaign. She also worked as press officer of the British Embassy in Manila. She later joined Emirates as a flight attendant. She is now based in Colorado with her American husband Timothy DeForest, a pilot, whom she met while working with Emirates.