As the New Year rushes in, Miss Teen Philippines, the country’s first-ever beauty pageant for teens, marks a new milestone too in its history.
After its four-year hiatus, Miss Teen Philippines 2019 pageant organisers revealed bigger plans for the beauty tilt and what awaits the next batch of young Filipinas who will be chosen for their “beauty, charm, intellect and potential to be inspiring role models for the youth.”
“We wanted to continue Miss Teen Philippines but as you would know, we started in 2004 and then in 2007 to 2008 and it was a hard time for the Philippines because of the Asian crisis, so we had to stop.
“Fortunately, somebody was interested in running the 2014 show, so we gave them the permission to continue it. It was very successful, but they had budget constraints. We started Miss Teens Philippines because we wanted to empower the young ladies. However, to be honest, it is quite hard. But now that the pageant industry is very hot in the Philippines, we just decided that maybe it’s about time to revive i],” explained the pageant organisers during its media launch.
“There were people who were interested to help out because they really believe that Miss Teen Philippines produced a lot of excellent girls and we’re very proud of them. So we had an agreement and here we are today. We will be here to guide them, obviously, because of our experience. But with their passion and empowerment of young women of today, I’m sure they will be doing a good job,” they added.
Present during the beauty pageant’s launch were Miss Teen Philippines 2014 Reissha Nicole Villar Magadia, finalist Bianca Willemsen, and Miss Teen Philippines 2014 1st Runner-up Chiara Ocampo, who all shared their journey and purpose as young beauty queens.“It will be our turn to teach and share our experiences to the aspiring beauty queens. We will do our best as mentors to give them the training they need to let them grow more as a person and as a woman. So I think my advice to them would be, of course, to keep persevering. Joining pageants really requires courage and passion. If you put yourself into it you have to be wholehearted. They have to make the most of this experience,” said Magadia, who was only 15 years old when she won the title.
Miss Teen Philippines 2019 takes the competition to a new level by highlighting the pageant’s aim to promote “global readiness through education” and choosing a winner who embodies all the qualities of a true youth ambassador.
“We are looking for an exceptional winner who is not just a pretty face, but must also be at the forefront in promoting our cause and be a role model among her peers. Of course, we will also take into consideration the candidate’s personality. She should be outgoing and exude the vibe of the younger generation,” pointed out Regine Angeles, Youth Empower Through Education Foundation Inc. director.
To further realise its goal, Miss Teen Philippines has partnered with local government agencies to help facilitate the rollout of the pageants projects.
“We have had initial talks with various government agencies, particularly Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Education, and National Youth Commission. So far, they are more than willing to extend assistance and make Miss Teen Philippines a partner in some of their initiatives,” Angeles added.
Miss Teen Philippines is open to all female, single, natural-born Filipinas aged 14 to 18 years old (at the time of the pageant on April 13, 2019). The aspiring beauty queen must be currently enrolled in an educational institution, at least 5’2” in height, and has the heart and talent to represent the Filipino youth.
Screening for Metro Manila aspirants will be on February 2. Application forms may be availed on the official Facebook page of Miss Teen Philippines, and must be submitted on or before February 1.
A regional search will be held from January to February 2019. Pampanga held it on December 15 while Iloilo City will be on January 5, Davao City (Jan 6), Cebu City and Cagayan De Oro on January 13, Bicol Region on January 20, Mimaropa on January 20, Laguna on January 26, and Ilocos Region on January 27.
In addition to the title and the chance to be a youth ambassador, the new Miss Teen Philippines will also bring home a P300,000 cash prize.  The first runneruUp will receive P200,000 while Miss Teen Philippines-Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao will each get P100,000.