TAGUM City crowned a new ambassadress of goodwill and advocacy.
Early in the pageant, Candidate number 8, Jane Irish Mae Duque, was not a recipient of any of the numerous special awards, the early favorites, candidates 1 and 6, were. She, however, snagged the fifth slot in the Top Five of among the ten striking beauties pre-judged to compete in the 2015 MutyangTagum.
It was not until the first round of the Q & A, with a question asked by a judge, that she bagged one—the Most Eloquent special award. This paved her way to taking home the coveted crown.
For the second round of the all-important segment, there was only one question thrown at all five candidates to answer. Tagum Mayor Alan Rellon asked, “You have one more semester to finish your college education but was offered a good job opportunity with a high salary that will need you to stop schooling. What will you do, finish schooling or accept the job and why?”
Jane was the last of the five finalists to be called back on stage to answer. Direct and with confidence, she was quick to reply with “I need to finish my schooling. It is because I am very particular and I value more the education. I need to graduate because this is, for me, the key to succeed. And with that, I know education would help us a lot because this would equip us with the necessary skills and competence and talent that we need for us to be a functional member of society. And with that, we can beat the odds, bridge the gap, and we make a difference.”
With new ratings done on a clean slate, Jane soared to the top of the judges’ scoreboard and was crowned the new Mutya ng Tagum.
As the Governor of Davao del Norte, Rodolfo del Rosario, said, “Being an economic center of the province where business people come to visit, the work of the winner begins after the winning because she will be representing Tagum and Davao del Norte. The best representation (of Tagum) will come from this pageant.”
It is true what Tagum City Mayor Allan Rellon said. The night was indeed a celebration of beauty with a purpose. “The spotlight is not only on the beauties of Tagum but also on the development thrust of the local government.” In this case, it was highlighting education and the winner will be the ambassadress of this advocacy.
It was a difficult task for the panel of judges to pinpoint which among the ten beautiful ladies would rise above the eye-appealing quality parading before them. One of the judges, Binibining Pilipinas-International 2014 Bianca Guidotti said, “I am looking for a girl who looks confident in her own skin. A woman who knows who she is and is not afraid to show the world,” when asked what a beauty queen like herself would be looking for or considering most in judging a beauty contest.
The task of choosing The One became somewhat easier for the panel on the final round of the pageant. Although all the candidates gave replies worthy of the crown, one girl stood above the rest. The city found what it was searching for.
Congratulations Jane Duque. Congratulations Tagum City.
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