Silliman University (SU) senior civil engineering student, Lexandrea Dela Cerna, 19, was crowned Miss Dumaguete 2017, besting nine other candidates in the beauty pageant held November 22 at the Lamberto Macias Sports Complex.
Joining Dela Cerna in the “Royal Court” of Miss Dumaguete are fellow Sillimanians Ellisse Anne Dolleton of the Medical School (1st runner-up), Vanessa Garner of the Institute of Clinical and Laboratory Sciences (2nd runner-up), and Nastassja Amigo of the Senior High School Department (4th runner-up). “For a long time now I really wanted to go back to pageants after Miss Silliman 2015, and my handler, Tita Melchy, gave me the opportunity to join Miss Dumaguete,” said Dela Cerna, who did not figure in the top 5 places in the earlier beauty contest.
She said relearning how to walk and talk in front of many people was the most challenging part of her Miss Dumaguete pageant journey, besides having to skip some classes to attend rehearsals.
After winning the crown, Dela Cerna said she will start working on her advocacy, which is empowering “morenos and morenas.”
“[Being] brown is beautiful. I really believe that we have to love our own skin, we have to appreciate it,” she added..
With four Sillimanians in the top five, Miss Dumaguete 2017 said she could not help but be proud.
“A Silliman woman is worthy to be a beauty queen.”
But she does not see herself joining any beauty contest in the near future. “For now, I want to focus on becoming an engineer.”
