This is it guys! After almost a month I have finally decided to release my Final Top Favorites for Miss Earth 2017. Compared to previous posts, I’ve decided to just publish one leaderboard due to the fact that I wanted to make sure I cover all aspects of the competition to make an unbiased judgement. After watching closely the Group competitions, and most especially the Figure/Form, Beauty of Face and Intelligence sub competitions I was able to narrow down the list to a Top 21. So here they are, MY FINAL TOP FAVORITES for Miss EARTH 2017!
Let’s begin the countdown with the Darkhorses (from 21-17)
21. UKRAINE (Diana Mironenko) – She’s a very engaging beauty queen, what I like about her is she’s spunky, dynamic and just full of zest! She always makes it a point to connect with her fans and supporters! Her preliminary interview was also memorable!
20. CAMEROON (Angele Kossinda) – She already captured my attention during the first week since the pageant commenced. Her Swimsuit performance in her group was astonishing and from then on, I set my eyes on her! Hope she brings forth that first placement for her country!
19. COSTA RICA (Fernanda Rodriguez) – She’s one underrated beauty, honestly she has one of the Most beautiful faces in the competition! I predict if she doesnt do well in Miss Earth I can see her becoming a future Miss Universe contestant just lose a few more pounds and she will have rocking body ala Fabiana Granados!
18. PANAMA (Erika Parker) – Initially she was one of those strong candidates prior to the start of the pageant, and once she stepped foot in Manila she continued to impress with her impeccable styling. I had her pegged for an elemental crown however she gave a rather subdued interview during the Intelligence round and that could really hurt her chances! I’m really hoping she gives her country its first semifinal placement after a 10 year drought!
17. US VIRGIN ISLANDS (Kaylee Carlberg) – Kaylee was playing it cool and quiet during the entire length of the pageant, nothing much have been heard from her but she bounced back after that interesting and engaging Interview last sunday! So there’s that gleam of hope that we’ll see her make that Top 16 parade! Fingers crossed!
And now the TOP 16, we begin with…
16. SWITZERLAND (Sarah Laura Peyrel) – She’s very classy, refined and always sophisticated. And her hair makes her standout! I predict she can go all the way to Top 8 (her cuteness reminds me of Miss Earth Slovak Republic 2014 who was also a Top 8 finalist that year!
15. INDONESIA (Michelle Alriani) – Wow Indonesia is represented by a beautiful and smart delegate. Her powerful interview sealed the deal. After last year’s gaffe, I’m positive Michelle Alriani will make her countrymen proud!
14. MEXICO (Karen Bustos) – Hola Mexico! Statuesque beauty Karen will be up there in the Final Top 16! She’s fresh and very endearing during the Intelligence round. Plus the entire Mexico will be tuning in live since major broadcaster MVS will telecast the pageant on Nov. 4th, so watch out for her!
13. ECUADOR (Lessie Giler) – She’s a great follow up to her predecessor who’s the current Miss Earth! This lady is a bombshell! I hope to see her make it, a back to back may be a long shot but she can win an Elemental crown if she does well in the finals! So Goodluck Ecuador!
12. KOREA (Hanna Lee) – Never underestimate Korean beauties in Miss Earth. It seems easy for Korean delegates to penetrate the semifinals in this system (maybe because of the Filipinos’ penchant to K-drama and K-pop). But other than that I was really surprised how eloquent Hanna is, my jaw dropped when I heard her speak during the Intelligence round! From that point on, I told myself this beauty will definitely make the Top 16. I’m positive about this! Go Korea!
11. TONGA (Diamond Langi) – Just like her name, this beauty is bound for the big time! She’s like a rare gem. She really has a beautiful face and is very well spoken! If in the event she makes the semi-finals it will be a breakthrough for her island to be known in the pageant world! The best is yet to come Diamond!
And now we're calling...
10. PHILIPPINES (Karen Ibasco) – After a non placement last year, Philippines will definitely be back in the semi-finals. Thanks to Karen Ibasco who’s doing a magnificent job representing the country. Her beauty may not be everyone’s cup of tea but overall she compensates it with her intelligence and charisma!
9. VIETNAM (Le Ha Thu) – After a strong finish last year, This time Vietnam is represented by a competitive beauty. This restaurant owner will leave no stone unturned as she is determined to secure a semi-final spot for her rising pageant crazed country! She got a whopping 5 million votes for the online photogenic award wow that was just beyond amazing!
THE 8 WONDERS OF THE EARTH:
8. USA (Andreia Gibau) – One of the most prepared delegates in this year’s roster! Andreia is always on point when it comes to her styling and she owns one of the best bodies in the competition. She also has amazing runway skills and this lady speaks her mind. So we should definitely watch out for her, she can definitely clinch an elemental crown!
7. ANGOLA (Ermelinda Matos) – Angola debuts with a bang with Ermelinda Matos. I wonder why she got snubbed off an award from both group swimsuit and evening gown competitions, in my opinion she has a great body with a smoldering presence and her gold gown was Final night ready! I hope she gets the limelight as she deserves come finale.
Step into the plate....
6. AUSTRALIA (Nina Robertson) – She really surprised me with her very queenly aura and regal bearing. After winning Gold in her group’s swimsuit competition everything went uphill for Nina. She’s peaking at the right moment and at the right time. Let’s see how she’ll be styled come saturday, if she goes the Honey Lee look, she will definitely win one of the elemental crowns.
It's your turn to shine...
5. COLOMBIA (Juliana Franco) – The face of the pageant in my opinion. Her face is just so beautiful with perfect symmetry matched with a beautiful smile and tantalizing eyes. She blew me away during the “No make-up” round, she basically just looked the same with or without make-up, what a natural beauty!
And Let's meet our Elemental Queens, beginning with...
Miss Earth FIRE - PUERTO RICO (Karla Victoria Aponte) – After a 2 year hiatus, Puerto Rico is back and is represented by a stunning blonde beauty. Karla is just 19 years old but she speaks as if she is 10 years older. She was able to snatch 3 Gold medals for both swimsuit and evening gown in her group plus one of the Most important awards which is the Best Eco video, and there’s no stopping her! Puerto Rico only managed to score 2 placements in the 17 year history of the pageant (2005 and 2010) Will Karla be the third? I really hope so!
You wanted this and you got it...
Miss Earth WATER: NETHERLANDS (Faith Landman) – Her face is magnetic! She is even compared to the infamous Oxana Fedorova of Russia (dethroned Miss Universe 2002). She has one of the solid advocacies and you can really feel her hunger to win the Top plum! Netherlands’ first and only placement was in 2010 (with Desiree Van Den Berg), Will Faith put her country back in the pageant map? Just keep the faith guys!
Yes it's you...
Miss Earth AIR: VENEZUELA (Ninoska Vasquez) – Well what do you expect from a Miss Venezuela? Ninoska came to the Philippines packed with ammunition ready to kill the competition and she did. She is one of the Top leaders in the medal tally and she still manages to maintain that focus! Get ready for a fabulous performance from this lady!
Congratulations, there's a reason to smile because the winner is you...
MISS EARTH: THAILAND (Paweensuda “Fahsai” Drouin) – And finally, one of the clear front runners in the competition is this half Thai/Half Canadian beauty! With her towering height Fahsai is hard to ignore! Her excellent command in english makes her an obvious choice both by the Miss Earth fans and the Org itself. There’s even a hashtag circulating #FahsaiWinsinPasay (the venue of the pageant is situated in Pasay City). Will this be the eventual headline after the finals night? If this happens then there’s a reason for Thailand to smile again after the death of their beloved King.
We wish all the delegates the best of luck! Give us a show that we'll never forget!!