March 28, 2024

Cordillera’s beauty queen Roxanne Allison Baeyens had an inkling she would be a ‘mermaid queen’ when she and her team were shooting her award-winning eco-videos along the coastline.

True enough, as she was crowned as one of the ‘elemental queens’, gaining the Miss Earth Water title while Michala Rubinstein from Denmark was named Miss Earth Fire 2020, and Stephany Zreik from Venezuela as Miss Earth Air.

Lindsey Coffey of U.S.A. won the  Miss Earth title during the virtual coronation on Nov. 29.

“I got goosebumps because the areas where we shot were in the beach so maybe I saw the signs that maybe I was going to be the mermaid queen, the water queen. I’m happy that this virtual pageant pushed through. (Indeed,) we shouldn’t let a pandemic (prevent) our voices from being heard,” Baeyens said during the press conference after the event.

As one of the youngest contestants; Baeyens, 23; said she has grown in her journey from being Miss Philippines Earth to the international pageant stage, albeit virtually but the tensions were still high.

Baeyens, who traces her roots to Besao, Mountain Province and Brussels, Belgium, has credited her team for her win. She has evidently the best eco-video productions among the contenders, which elevated her win.

Her final long gown, which was inspired by the rice terraces in the Cordillera and designed by Rian Fernandez, also won as the best long gown in the competition.

She also won the best talent in dance category as well as brand ambassador for one of the event’s major sponsors.   

As part of her reign as Miss Earth Philippines, she is the ambassador for urban gardening and agriculture in the region, which is her advocacy since she started her Miss Earth journey.

“This is the end to a new beginning. I have so much gratitude for the Miss Earth organization that helped me find who I truly am and what I am destined for. I am beyond grateful for team Philippines and to everyone who held my hands and showed me I can do it. This is for us, all of us,” Baeyens said. – Ofelia C. Empian