One of Tacloban’s top models
BY: RONALaD O. REYES
TACLOBAN CITY-This city’s top model and beauty queen Gabrielle Camille Basiano was crowned as this year’s first Ambassadress of Tourism Philippines.
The 5’9 stunner bested other 19 lovely and talented ladies around the country during the first Ambassador and Ambassadress of the World-Philippines 2019 in Manila on June 22.
Basiano, 21, will represent the country in the Miss Friendship International 2019 pageant in China this July.
As the top 15 finisher in the Miss Earth Philippines 2018, Basiano called the Ambassador of the World – Philippines pageant as “nerve-racking and exciting.”
She added that this is her first time to join a competition “wherein one’s pageantry experience and modeling skills will be tested.”
A fourth-year Tourism student at the Asian Development Foundation College in Tacloban, Basiano said she dreamt of representing the Philippines in an international pageant.
At 17, she was crowned Miss Asian Development Foundation College.
She was the 2017 Mutya ng PRISAA (Private Schools Athletic Association) Region 8 and 3rd Runner up in the Mutya ng Prisaa Nationals.
In the same year, she was also chosen as Miss Silka Leyte and Robinsons Tacloban Supermodel.
“My advocacy is beauty and unity in diversity. It is about seeing and appreciating our cultural, physical and other differences. And using it to empower one another,” said Basiano, who also hoped to become a businesswoman and flight attendant someday.
It was learned that the newly-crowned beauty queen met with former first lady and outgoing Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos who encouraged her to join a nationwide beauty search and win it which Basiano just did.
Marcos, who is from Leyte, was once crowned as the ‘Rose of Tacloban.’ Her niece-in-law, outgoing Leyte Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez was also crowned as Binibining Pilipinas-International in 1996.
