Homegrown and overseas bets shared top honors in Sunday night’s Mutya ng Pilipinas beauty pageant held in Baler, Aurora. Legazpi City’s Jane Banares bagged the Mutya ng Pilipinas-International title while Northern Germany’s Jacqueline Schubert won the Mutya ng Pilipinas-Tourism crown.

Banares beat 33 other contestants from all over the country and Filipino communities abroad. She also bagged the Best in Evening Gown award. Schubert, meanwhile, won Best in Swimsuit and Best in Sabutan Costume.

Both ladies won P200,000 each and will represent the Philippines in the Miss Intercontinental pageant and the Malaysia-based Miss Tourism International contest.

Overseas and local bets also split runner-up honors. Toronto’s Samantha East was first runner-up, while Quezon City’s Jennielyn Natividad was second runner-up.

Banares, who passed the nursing board exams in February, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in an earlier interview that her experience in various pageants in the Bicol region helped to prep her for the big leagues.

Fellow Bicolana Dominique Lagrimas, from Camarines Sur, cracked the semifinals and took home the Miss Photogenic prize.

Local bets continued to make waves in the “Mutya” even if the pageant has opened its doors to overseas entrants of Filipino lineage. In the last decade, only three overseas bets have been proclaimed Mutya ng Pilipinas—Miriam Chui from the United States in 2002, Filipino-Italian Carmizienas Nicolosi in 2005, and Norway’s Kirby Ann Basken in 2006.

This year, the semifinals was dominated by local bets: Host province Aurora’s Athena Mae Imperial, Manila’s Mae Lanie Chan, Palawan’s Jo Ann Peria, Karen Nacario from Toledo, Cebu, Taytay’s May Ann Buenaventura, and Bulakenya Jenn-Roe Gubat. They were joined by Photographers’ Choice Rene McHugh from the US East Coast.

Texas-based Ana Baladad was proclaimed Mutya ng Pilipinas-Overseas Communities. She was chosen from among the eight overseas representatives who joined this year. Baladad was not in the semifinals.

Pangasinan’s Agnes Santiago, meanwhile, received the OPMB People’s Choice Award for garnering the most votes in an online poll conducted among members of the Internet pageant portal www.opmbworldwide.com.

Diane de Vera of Romblon was voted Miss Friendship by fellow candidates while Quezon City’s Katrina Lopez was proclaimed Miss Talent.

Past “Mutya” winners include Miss Asia Alice Crisostomo, Miss Asia-Pacific Bong Dimayacyac, Miss Model of the World Gemith Gemparo and Miss Asia-Pacific Michelle Aldana, movie and TV actresses Tetchie Agbayani, Aurora Sevilla, Sherilyn Reyes and Daisy Reyes, and the late Rio Diaz. Last year’s winners were Jonavie Quiray and Jam Libatog.

The 2009 Mutya ng Pilipinas coronation night will be telecast on TV-5 on Aug. 16 at 9 p.m. The Filipino Channel (TFC) will beam the program to other countries later. Inquirer, Manila, 11.08.09