MANILA, Philippines — Abra’s representative, and the very first delegate from the province to compete in the Binibining Pilipinas pageant, Myrna Esguerra, won the latest national Miss International crown on Sunday, July 7.
During the swimwear preliminary competition, Philstar.com had an exclusive interview with the newly-crowned beauty queen.
We learned that the 23-year-old maiden is currently studying in one of the colleges of Pampanga, the hometown of her father’s side of the family. While her father was a Kapampangan, her mom is a full-blooded Ilocana from Abra. So she’s a mix of both Ilocano and Kapampangan culture.
As the reigning Miss Abra, she got to represent the province at the 60th Anniversary pageant of Binibining Pilipinas. “I have the willingness to reach out to a lot of people. Binibining Pilipinas is one of the most prestigious pageants in the country. I’m excited to be part of its history,” she intimated.
And part of BBP’s history she is. The late Myrna Panlilio was the very first Binibining Pilipinas crowned on July 5, 1964. And now, six decades later, another Myrna is crowned with the top title.
Ems, as her close friends call her, is part of National Coalition Philippines; a nationwide clean-up drive of the Department of Environment & Natural Resources. Apart from this, she is also an advocate for cancer patients. Her father passed away from cancer last December, while her sister is currently fighting lupus.
“If you know cancer, it’s a very tough battle because even though you’re expecting the outcome, you still wouldn’t be prepared for the things that might happen,” Ems intoned.
After her father’s untimely demise, the family is now under the care of their mother. But Myrna has 12 other siblings. That’s why she is so proud of her mother for taking care of them all.
During the National Costume Competition, Myrna wore an ensemble dedicated to her mother’s craft as a weaver. Her costume was eventually chosen as one of the five creations to win Best National Costumes.
After qualifying as an independent candidate, and one of the forty official delegates to the Diamond Year pageant edition during the screening, Myrna was embraced by the Aces & Queens camp.
With her winning the top crown in Binibining Pilipinas’ 60th Year edition, Myrna will forever remain in the pageant’s very colorful history. — Photo by @bab.foto via Instagram; video by Philstar.com/Martin Ramos
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