ETERNAL Gardens celebrated the timeless beauty and elegance of the elderly with the Ms. Eternal Beauty Lipa 2018 pageant held on September 15, at the Eternal Gardens Lipa park grounds in Lipa City.
Cecile Sebastian, an 80-year-old retired teacher from Barangay Sico, Lipa City, Batangas, bested eight other candidates and became the first-ever Ms. Eternal Beauty Lipa. She went home with P7,000 in cash, plus gift certificates and gift items from the sponsors, which included Gelrocks Surplus, Burj Al Hair Salon, Picture City and Jollibee.
Aida Lalusin, 70, of Barangay 2, was first runner-up, while 63-year-old Luzviminda Rellis of Barangay Sabang was the second runner-up. They were awarded P4,000 and P3,000 in cash, respectively, plus gift certificates and gift items from pageant sponsors.
“We believe in Eternal Beauty. A beauty that is beyond what we see, a beauty that comes from deep within. These brave, confident women are the perfect example of what real beauty is: a beauty without expiration, an ageless beauty. A beautiful being inside and out, with a beautiful heart,” said Eternal Gardens Lipa Branch Manager Jocelyn Ann Buendia as she introduced the nine senior candidates vying for the title of Ms. Eternal Beauty Lipa 2018, who were in their sportswear. Later on, they changed into their stunning formal wear which they modeled gracefully on stage.
Before the coronation night, a pre-pageant was held at the Eternal Gardens Lipa office on September 5, where the candidates showcased their talents, which made up 10 percent of their score. They also had a photoshoot courtesy of Picture City, and their portraits have been posted on the Facebook page of Eternal Gardens Lipa for the online voting that was 20 percent of their total score. The other criteria for judging were audience impact, 20 percemt; intelligence (question and answer), 25 percent; sportswear, 10 percent; and formal wear, 15 percent, for a total of 100 percent.
Among those who had the difficult task of choosing the winners were Alyssa Marie Cailao, Bb. Sto. Tomas Batangas 2010; Hsueh Jung Hsu, Brand Ambassador for Althea Korea, Pixi Beauty UK and Too Faced Cosmetics; Kristine Joy Alina-Quinto, Ms. Lipa Tourism 2004 and Ms. STI College Philippines 2004; and Jose Antonio V. Rivera, Eternal Gardens vice president for Sales and Marketing.
Special awards were also given to the candidates who did exceptionally well in certain areas of the pageant. Nenita Dimaano, 77, won Best in Talent for doing a declamation for which she received a certificate, plus a gift certificate and gift items from Jollibee. She was also awarded Best in Sportswear for her unique motocross attire, and Best in Formal Wear for her elegant red and black ensemble. She received certificates, plus P2,000 worth of gift certificates from Toby’s SM Lipa, and a gift certificate from Lorenzo’s Asian Restaurant as prizes for the special awards, respectively.
Trinidad Guia, 69, was chosen Most Photogenic by the experts of Picture City and was given a certificate and a framed blown-up copy of her portrait. The People’s Choice Award, determined through Facebook likes, was bagged by 69-year-old Felisa Genove, who received a certificate plus an overnight hotel accommodation for two at Hotel La Corona de Lipa.