The Council of Filipino Organizations (CFO) will be hosting this year’s Philippine Independence Day on June 11, 2022. The event will be held at the Arizona State University West Campus. One of the highlights of this event is the preliminary competition of Mrs. Philippines Arizona 2022 which will happen that day from 3:00 – 5:00 pm. The theme of this year’s pageant is to unite and promote all the Filipino American Organizations in Arizona. John Saavedra and Virgie Brown are this year’s pageant chairs,
“This year, we have ten inspiring women vying for the crown. It is amazing to learn about each candidate’s advocacy and organization’s vision. This is their time to encourage others to get involved with our community and participate to charitable activities to support their fellowmen. All the candidates have the power not only to empower other women, but also to be the voice of their platforms. Mrs. Philippines Arizona is someone who can be an example of consistency, purpose, optimism, and inspiration as she follows a path of uttermost leadership.
Here are the official candidates and the organizations they represent:
- Karen Parco – ABAKA Foundation
- Ligen Feller – Filipino American Marriage-Group of Arizona (FAMAZ)
- Joanne Dela Pena – Bisaya Filipino Social Club of Arizona
- Genevieve Moises Farler – Filipino American Families Support Team of Arizona (FAST of AZ)
- Bernadette Songco – Philippine American Chamber of Commerce (PACCA)
- Karla Monica San Agustin – Phoenix Lions Without Borders
- Ghiezl Arceo Cacnio – Asian American Lions Club
- Jasmine Gayongala – Samahang Bayanihan of Arizona
- Jessika Ros Malic – Filipino Club of Arizona (FCA)
- Alelea Quintana – Filipino American Association of Arizona (FAAAZ)
The Areas of Competition for all divisions are national costume, talent, evening gown, question and answer portion.
Personality & Wit (Q&A): Each delegate will participate in a Q&A portion on the final night. Each candidate will be timed at one minute to answer a question. In this segment, authenticity is the most important attribute. Each delegate is expected to answer questions confidently aligned to their principles and advocacy. This is an opportunity for the judges to learn about the qualities and attributes each candidate possesses that are characteristic of Mrs. Philippines Arizona 2022; opinions and aspirations; knowledge of local, national, and world events and political issues; candidate's sense of accomplishment, confidence, personality, poise, presence, and attractiveness.
National Costume: This part of the competition will be very much like a runway fashion show. National costume can be anything the delegate feels to represent, but it must be related to the Philippine culture and traditions. Judges will be looking for craftmanship and originality during this segment.
Talent: Each talent must not exceed 4-5 minutes. This phase of the competition provides an insight into each candidate’s preparatory and performance skills. Talent selection and performance distinguish the contestant’s personality and skills, interpretive ability, quality of the talent presented, stage presence, technical skill level (execution, technique, synchronization, control), and the totality of all elements (including costume, props, music, voice, and choreography).
Evening Wear: Candidates will be judged on overall first impression; sense of confidence; personality and stage presence; walk, posture, carriage, and grace; sense of style and appropriateness of evening wear; beauty, sense of attractiveness, and charm.
Sponsorship: 20% of any collected sponsorship will be given to the candidate or organization. This can be used for outfits or any necessary expenses for the pageant. The candidate who collects the highest sponsorship will automatically receive the full score (10%) under this criterion.
In the next coming weeks, all candidates will be attending events hosted by other organizations. They will meet for rehearsals and prepare for the upcoming preliminary competition and coronation gala. Let’s show our love and support for all the candidates. If you plan to reserve banquet tickets for the coronation gala on July 30TH, please contact our sponsorship and banquet chair Jhen Facto Aquino (