Ms. Paraw Regatta Festival Queen is 1st runner-up in WVTA
Iloilo City's Paraw Regatta Festival Queen Christy Camohoy was declared as first runner up in the 2007 Miss Western Visayas Tourism. She also received minor awards such as Miss Negros Navigation Princess and Best in Gown in last Thursday's beauty pageant held at the Negros Occidental Multi-Purpose Gymnasium.
MassKara Festival Queen Rosario Ann Rosales, however, reigned in the beauty pageant. Rosales also reaped most of the minor awards. Lin-ay sang Negros Christer Mari Taclobos is second runner up.
While, reigning Miss Dinagyang Festival Cara Jeanne Sullano of Iloilo City got the Best in Talent award.
In the point system, Sullano ranked third and Mutya ng Sinadya sa Halaran Helen Grace Gonzalez ranked fourth. The other contestants were Mutya sang Sinadya sa Halaran Helen Grace Gonzales, Lin-ay sang Guimaras Jea Ferrer, Lin-ay sang Antique Michelle Ann Acuña, and Miss Ati-Atihan Quennie Pearl Mangilin.
The Miss Western Visayas Tourism beauty pageant is part of the Western Visayas Tourism Assembly here. The assembly opened on November 12 and ended Saturday with a theme "Entrepreneurial Tourism: Beyond Tourist Arrivals." The tourism assembly is an annual activity which features daily showcase and presentations of the regional provinces and cities with a goal to create awareness and same time promote tourism attractions and potentials in the region.
Department of Tourism Regional Director Edwin Trompeta said Rosales will be the region's Ambassadress of Goodwill. She will represent the region in all its tourism activities, whether local or abroad.
"The beauty pageant was staged because the people is the number one asset in the tourism industry. It is the people that is showing hospitality, graciousness and advocating peace. Physical and man-made attractions would be meaningless without the people," said Trompeta.