Karen Ibasco wins the Philippines’ 4th Miss Earth crown



The Philippines won its fourth Miss Earth title after country bet Karen Ibasco bested more than 80 contestants from all over the world during the Miss Earth 2017 coronation night held at the Mall of Asia Arena, in Pasay City on November 4.

Ibasco, 26-year-old, medical physicist cum laude graduate and physics professor at the University of Santo Tomas (UST), was crowned by outgoing Miss Earth 2016 Katherin Espin from Ecuador.

Ibasco’s court of honor included Miss Earth Air 2017 Nina Robertson of Australia, who is a half-Filipina and former top 10 Mutya ng Pilipinas candidate; Miss Earth Fire 2017 Lada Akimova of Russia, and Miss Earth Water 2017 Juliana Franco of Colombia.

Ibasco, who advocates energy conservation through renewable and sustainable energy, by coincidence had picked the hashtag#biodiversity during the Top 8 finalists Q&A segment, to which she replied, “Biodiversity is very important. We are very known in the Philippines to have a lot of biodiversity, and they’re very important because they balances the ecosystem. It’s very important for us to protect them, because as we protect them, we protect the environment.”

But Ibasco’s final Q&A answer which swayed the judges to her favor. Asked “who or what she thinks is the biggest enemy of Mother Earth and why,” she said: “I believe that the real problem in this world is not climate change. The real problem is us because of our ignorance and apathy. What we have to do is to start changing our ways, to start recalibrating our minds and redirecting our steps because together, as a global community, our micro-efforts will have a macro-effect to help save our home, our planet.”

Named in the Top 8 were Miss Thailand Paweensuda Drouin
Miss Venezuela Ninoska Vasquez, Miss Czech Republic, Iva Uchytilová and Miss Netherlands, Faith Landman. Earlier, the Top 16 were named which included Miss
USA Andreia Gibau, Miss Tonga Diamond Langi, Miss Angola Ermelinda de Matos, Miss Guatemala Maria José Castañeda, Miss Vietnam Le Thi Ha Thu, Miss Switzerland Sarah Laura Peyrel, Miss Bosnia and Herzegovina Lela Karagic and Miss Cameroon, Angele Kossinda.

Ibasco’s winning the 17th edition of the Manila-based Miss Earth pageant followed similar feat by Angelia Ong in 2015, Jamie Herrell in 2014 and Karla Henry in 2008. Words by Eton Concepcion/Photos by Edmund Chua


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