Miss Earth 2009 contest

Miss Earth 2009, the 9th edition of Miss Earth beauty pageant, will be held at the Boracay Ecovillage Resort and Convention Center, in the Island of Boracay, Philippines on November 22, 2009. The Miss Earth winner serves as the spokesperson for the Miss Earth Foundation, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and other environmental organizations. The pageant has a total of 80 delegates from various countries and territories competing for the crown. At the conclusion of the competition, outgoing titleholder Miss Earth 2008 Karla Henry of the Philippines will crown her successor.

Boracay Ecovillage Resort and Convention Center is the only mountain resort in Boracay that allows you to enjoy the white sand and turquoise water of Puka Beach as well as the rich nature of the island and its flora and fauna. The delegates of Miss Earth 2009 visited the different islands of the Philippines with the theme “Green Lifestyle” and promoted the use of recyclable materials as part of collective lifestyle. In addition, they engaged on different environmental activities including the planting of trees, and had school tours in the provinces of Ilocos, Laguna, Negros Occidental, Albay, Pampanga, Bulacan, Rizal, Pangasinan, Batangas, Iloilo and Metro Manila.

In the 9th edition of the pageant, the Miss Earth Organizers unveiled a new crown to be worn by the winner of Miss Earth 2009 with the preservation of the planet Earth as its primary consideration. The crown was designed by an environmentalist jewelry designer from Florida, Ramona Haar, the official jeweller of the Miss Earth pageant. The new crown is made of 100% recycled precious metals comprising of 14kt gold and argentums sterling silver. What sets the Miss Earth crown apart is the fact that the gemstones used both precious stone and semiprecious stone were donations from over 80 different participating countries. These are gemstones that each country is known for either as the origin or source. The gemstones were sent in various forms: faceted, cabochons, beads or rough. The designer travelled to Jaipur, India to have these gemstones individually trim and faceted to the required cut and sizes. The flower in the center of the crown represents Mother Earth, as inspired by the statement of an American poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “The earth laughs in flowers.” The recurring spiral motif has always been associated with “maternal power” and “feminine prestige” which is the essence of Miss Earth. The gentle curves in the crown symbolize “unity” and the “spirit of cooperation.”

The pre-pageant activities started with the National Costume Competition that took place on the same day of November 4, 2009, at 4:00 p.m. at the Amazing Theater, formerly Film Center of the Philippines, CCP Complex, Pasay City. The Grand Coronation Night is today on November 22, 2009, Sunday, 7:00 p.m. at the Boracay Convention Center, the centerpiece of Boracay Eco Village Resort in Yapak, Boracay Island, Aklan. It will be televised locally by ABS-CBN Channel 2 and internationally by The Filipino Channel. Eighteen (18) semi-finalists will be chosen this year. They will be trimmed to twelve (12) until only eight (8) exceptional ladies would remain to compete for the following titles: Miss Earth, Miss Earth-Air, Miss Earth-Water, and Miss Earth-Fire.

The 2009 Miss Earth Beauty Pageant is also being supported by Miss Earth Foundation, Discovery Suites, the official delegates’ residence in Manila, Fairways and Bluewater, the official delegates’ residence in Boracay, PAGCOR, Nestle Nesvita and Karilagan International Travel & Tours Corp. Special thanks to Ricky Reyes, the official make-up artist & hair stylist, and COCOLIFE, the official insurance provider.