Alexie Brooks from Iloilo City, Janet Hammond from Southern California, and Tamara Ocier from Tacloban were hailed as the winners of the Miss Universe Philippines National Costume competition. Here all the details on their winning looks
In pageantry, the national costume is one of the most awaited segments of the competition. It is a dramatic show of the history, geography, and heritage of the regional culture, traditions, and people to which the candidate represents. As the most expressive mark of the national identity, the 53 candidates showcased the grandeur and the narrative of their own drapes and decorations on Sunday, April 24, at the Sultan Kudarat Gymnasium and Cultural Center.
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Following the theme Philippine Flora and Fauna, Alexie Brooks from Iloilo City, Janet Hammond from Southern California, and Tamara Ocier from Tacloban prevailed as the top three beauty queens who each brought home a PHP100,000 cash prize.
ALEXIE BROOKS, ILOILO
Alexie Brooks, a frontrunner in the preliminary competitions and a fan-favorite, was the wearer of Tata Blas-Pinuela’s creation—a bodysuit with sparkling multicolor details arranged in a design that resembles an eight-legged critter called “ugto-ugto,” the Ilonggo term for orb-weaver spider.
Alexie gave a dramatic performance of embodying the spider’s movements while striding across the runway, giving Tata’s handiwork the show it deserves. In a Facebook post, Alexie’s team further shared that the beauty queen’s voluptuousness is accentuated by the posterior part of the costume; the bejeweled appendages attached to the back represent growth and balance; and the cephalothorax headdress with large eyes and delicate colors complete the ensemble. The outfit is fastened with styled webs that are elaborately adorned with pearl-like details. The delicate and intricate webs in the costume is a reminder to continue being imaginative and tenacious craftspeople, encouraging us to meticulously weave our aspirations with precision and meaning.
Her team further says, “May this masterpiece by Tata Blas-Pinuela reminds us that despite their diminutive sizes, spiders and other arachnids are great eco-warriors and are equally important in our fauna system.”
JANET HAMMOND, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Representative of the Filipino community in Southern California, Janet Hammond stepped out onto the catwalk in a masterpiece crafted by Ehrran Montoya.
His creation takes after the stunning Tubbataha Reef, home to more than 1,200 marine species and a marine-protected area located in the middle of the Sulu Sea. Beauty queen Janet presented an artistic and vibrant homage to the Philippines’ exceptionally healthy and beautiful reef ecosystem.
“Adorned with textures, intricate fabric manipulations, and embellished with crystals and beadwork depicting marine species, this masterpiece showcases the mesmerizing beauty and biodiversity of underwater Philippine ‘flora and fauna,’” Ehrran shares in an Instagram post.
“As the representative of the Filipino community in Southern California, Jet Hammond embodies the splendor of our aquatic world at the Miss Universe Philippines 2024.”
TAMARA OCIER, TACLOBAN
Charlotte Rodriguez designed a masterpiece that draws inspiration from a fusion of the sun goddess and the Tacloban Monitor Lizard, called “Halo” by the locals. Beauty queen Tamara personified Tacloban’s resilience for both wildlife and human communities with the lizard as a symbol of bravery and transformation, and embodied the sun goddess’s golden and iridescent aura and energy.
In an Instagram post, Charlotte further shared, “The goddess ushers humanity back into their true place as sanctuary makers, and [the Halo] is an ancient symbol of fearlessness and transformation located in the isolated regions of Tacloban and Region 8.”
“Like the Taclobanons, the monitor lizard’s ability to thrive in a variety of habitats despite environmental changes symbolizes resilience and adaptability.”
Photos and Featured Image: MISS UNIVERSE PHILIPPINES (Via Facebook), TATA BLAS-PINUELA AND EHRRAN MONTOYA (Via Instagram)
