BONTOC, Mountain Province – Ladies from the 16 barangays of Bontoc will be competing for the title of Miss Am-among 2018 in the evening of September 14, 2018 at the Bontoc Municipal Capitol Quadrangle of the new Municipal Building, and will represent the municipality in the Search for Miss Mountain Province in April next year.
Elizabeth S. Farnican of the Municipal Tourism Office clarified that the Miss Am-among 2018 is a natural pageant in which candidates shall possess a bright and lovely personality; excellent manners and social skills; have poise, elegance, excellent decorum, manners and etiquette; an excellent conversationalist with complementing social skills; and exemplify a natural, pure and wholesome beauty. Thus, candidates will not be permitted to wear heavy eye make-up or foundation, flippers, excessive fake tans and non-age appropriate hair extensions.
Contestants must be at least 17 -23 years of age; at least 5’3” in height; trace their roots in the barangay that they represent; natural born female, single, and have not given birth to a child; not married or even been married or have a marriage annulled; of good moral character and no police records; and in good health and sound mind during all aspects of pageant.
Considering that it is a “Natural Beauty Pageant”, the candidates will be judged in only two categories to include the Evening Attire and the Question and Answer. Gowns in the Evening Attire Category must be floor length and with coordinating accessories while jewelries should be kept to a minimum and should be classic and elegant. Further, candidates are only permitted to wear one pair of earrings in each ear lobe and visible tattoos on any part of the body will not be permitted.
The selection of finalists may either be in the Top 5 or Top 8, depending on the number of candidates. The Top 5 or Top 8 shall be declared as the finalists and will further proceed to the final Question and Answer which will be asked by the board of judges.
In an event of a tie, the winner will be determined by a final on-stage question to be selected by the judging panel.
The Miss Am-among 2018 will receive a crown, sash, plaque and P8, 000.00 cash prize. The 1st Runner Up, 2nd Runner Up and 3rd Runner Up will be awarded with a plaque, sash and cash prize of P6,000.00, P5,000.00 and P4,000.00, respectively.
Aside from this, the candidates shall be competing with the Minor Awards to include Miss Photogenic, Miss Wit, Miss Rio Chico, Miss Am-among, Miss Boardwalk, Miss Natasha and Miss MSE.
The Miss Am-among 2018 will coincide with the Mr. Am-among (Mr. Body Physique) which is categorized into Novice Juniors and Novice Adult. Those who can sign up for Novice Junior are 17 – 25 years old and 26 – 35 years old for Novice Adult, both must be from Bontoc.
Farnican mentioned that the Bontok wanes (G-string) will be the attire of all the candidates for this event. She added that judges are not looking for the level of muscle mass or extreme leanness that are necessary for success in body building. Instead, the judges are looking for lean, fit, muscular physique that is balanced and aesthetically pleasing. Also, proper grooming and overall aesthetic appeal are taken into consideration as the judges look for the best overall package.
There shall be an individual stage walk in which the contestants will do the Front Pose, Side Poses and Back Pose.
The champion in the competition will receive a trophy and a cash prize of P5, 000.00. Trophies and cash prizes of P4, 000.00, P3, 000.00 and P2, 000.00 will be given to the 1st Runner Up, 2nd Runner Up and 3rd Runner Up, respectively.
Minor Awards will also be provided to include Mr. Am-among and Darling of the Crowd, Mr. Boardwalk, Mr. Natasha and Mr. MSE.
As of this writing, the Committee on Miss Am-among 2018 and Mr. Am-among (Body Physique) is still accepting entries for said competitions. Interested individuals may visit the Municipal Tourism Office, 3rd Floor of the Public Market Building.
The twin –competitions are part of the line-up activities in celebration of the 110th Bontoc Foundation Day and 14th Am-among Festival with the theme “Sustaining Bontoc Culture, Empowering Communities, Access to Global Challenges.”
By Alpine L. Killa, Bontoc
