Besting 14 other candidates, Tamara Ocier emerged victorious in the recently concluded Miss Universe Philippines-Tacloban coronation night last January 31, 7 PM at Tacloban Convention Center, Tacloban City.
Alongside Ocier, candidate number 7, Yoshabel Lebico also clinched the first The Miss Philippines-Tacloban crown.
Meanwhile, former Miss Teen Pintados queen, Margarette Odiver finished as first runner-up with Nesylvie Dupal, Jialyn Castila, and Edlynne Yu garnering the second, third, and fourth runners-up, respectively.
Pre-Finals Activities
The month-long search for the first MUPh and The Miss Philippines-Tacloban queens officially kicked off last December 11th during the two-day in-person screening held at Granda Manor, Tacloban City before the 14 final candidates were officially unveiled through an official Facebook post of the candidates' official portraits in the Miss Universe Philippines-Tacloban page last December 21st.
Prior to the preliminaries, the candidates also had their sponsorship visits and media guestings at Lamrag Radio and their official media partner, Bombo Radyo Tacloban, before a nerve-wracking closed-door interview at Granda Manor.
Last January 27th at 2 PM, the candidates showcased their beauty and poise as they competed in the Modern Filipiniana, Swimsuit, and Evening Gown portions of the Preliminaries held at Robinsons North Tacloban Activity Area.
Minor and Major Awards
Odiver came as an early favorite after receiving five major and minor awards namely; Best in Evening Gown, Miss Photogenic, Miss Be'She, Miss Toyota Tacloban, and Alberca's Dental Ambassadress while Lebico came close after receiving four, namely; Miss Pixelenz, The Mario Roca's Choice, Miss Goldilocks, and Miss Calista awards.
The Miss Universe Philippines-Tacloban garnered three major and minor awards; the Best in Swimsuit, Miss RD Pawnshop, and Miss Kotex awards tied with Dupal and Henedine Brosas who clinched the Miss Granda Manor, Miss Drake's, Miss Elcarte I.D.E.A.S, and, Miss Personality, Miss Congeniality, Miss Saint's Travels, respectively.
Yu, Arianna Metran, and Princess Aguila also earned two awards each taking home the Best in Modern Filipiniana and Miss Wok's Eat Out; Best Advocacy Video and Miss Pixel Eaters; and Miss MWJ and Pet Haven Ambassadress, respectively.
Meanwhile, remaining candidates Castila, Jane Agao, Jaira Encina, Camille Lawsin, Trisha Babon, and Jeansy Zepeda took home one minor and major awards, namely; David Surgi Ambassadress, Miss Elevate, Miss Ninth Beauty, Miss Capitan Tiago, Miss EAC Construction, and Miss Funbox, respectively.
Final 6
After a fun and graceful showcase of figure and poise through the Swimsuit and Evening Gown competitions of the coronation night, the official candidates were down to a final 6 cut.
Voice for Change Winner, Dupal took the first spot in the final six with Odiver, Ocier, Lebico, Castila, and Yu, later on taking the remaining five spots.
Without wasting a second, the finalists immediately held the microphone as they started the question and answer portion, sharing their perspectives on the final question, "In a world where everything is temporary, what is your permanence?"
Dupal who held the microphone first shared about her gratefulness for everyone who was with her in her 10-year pageant journey and her past experiences as her permanence.
Odiver, on the other hand, highlighted the importance of "believing in yourself" as she shared that it is herself that she considers her permanence.
Ocier considers love as her permanence as she believes that with "determination, commitment, and love, your dream is not only a possibility but a certainty."
Fourth to answer was Lebico who shared that her permanence is "to use my voice to promote my cause" for she is a firm believer in the power of education, and her advocacy, to break the cycle of poverty.
Castila, on the other hand, believes that her "compassion towards others" is her permanence especially that it is close to her advocacy which is youth empowerment. She also highlighted that "empowering the youth of today is empowering the youth of tomorrow."
Meanwhile, the final candidate, Yu, shared some advice that in a world that is constantly changing "do not be afraid to change for a betterment."
After a successful MUPh Tacloban stint, Ocier and Lebico will be representing the city on the national stage in the Miss Universe Philippines and The Miss Philippines pageants this year, respectively.
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CAPTION: Tacloban's new queen. 23 years old Tamara Ocier is crowned Miss Universe Philippines - Tacloban 2024 on Wednesday, January 31 at the Tacloban City Convention Center.
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