Dashing in black and gold and ravishing in blue, pink, and silver, UBians witnessed jewels come to life at the coronation night of Mr. and Ms. University of Baguio.
Best believe that the candidates were bejeweled when they walked in the UB gymnasium last April 13, 2023 and made the whole place shimmer for the highly-anticipated comeback of the Mr. and Ms. University of Baguio after three years.
Donning the creations of Keziah Clothing Shop for the casual wear category and Ms. Shiva Rivera for the formal wear competition, the candidates sparkled like twinkling jewels as they walked on the runway representing their respective schools with pride and elegance.
The booming cheers of each department echoed in the whole gymnasium. Spectators were rooting for their bets and everyone was drawn to the event. The candidates did not disappoint their fans and supporters as all of them were dressed to be crowned for the title and mentally prepared for the intellectual dogfight.
Eight female and male candidates vied for the coveted title of Mr. and Ms. University of Baguio, but only one pair reigned supreme among the rest. Ms. Senior High School, Heavenly Lawingan, and Mr. Senior High School, Jair Brelo Cansino, were crowned as winners. Both of them also won Best in Creative Wear and Best in Evening Wear which were the major awards.
Lawingan sealed her crown when she answered the question about her insights regarding the university’s move of sustaining its scholarship program for UBian working students. Here, Lawingan shares her success story as a working student herself and how she managed to hurdle both her academics and financial struggles especially during the height of the pandemic. She won the hearts of the crowd and the judges when she said that, “Education is not a privilege but it is a right.”
“Education is not a privilege but it is a right.“
– Heavenly Lawingan, Ms. University of Baguio 2023
Cansino’s victory was also premeditated when he eloquently answered the question about mental health awareness in the university. The question specifically revolved about his plans on how he would help his fellow students who are suffering from anxiety during examination week. Cansino revealed that his plan was already in motion as he is currently in partnership with the University of Baguio Center for Counseling and Student Development (CCSD) in training students to become good communicators and turn them into peer mediators.
The newly-crowned Mr. and Ms. University of Baguio will focus on their advocacies toward education and mental health awareness.
The night ended with a sense of camaraderie and fulfillment not only for the candidates but also to every UBian who witnessed the event both online and face-to-face. At the end of the day, the true UBian spirit of solidarity prevailed over competition.
Pageants are held not for the purpose of determining who is the most beautiful and handsome, but to look for someone who can affect reforms and become role models for their fellow students.
