Miss Earth United States 2009

NEVADA: Newly crowned Miss Earth United Stated 2009. Amy Diaz, 24 year-old Miss Rhode Island, was crowned Miss Earth United States during the prestigious beauty pageant held at Primm Valley Resort and Conference Center in Nevada.

Her elemental court include Miss Air Danielle Bounds from Missouri, Miss Water Anastagia Pierre from Florida and Miss Fire Dani Reeves from Iowa.

Amy Diaz (R) with Karla Henry, Miss Earth 2008 (C) and Jamillette Gaxiola, Miss Earth Cuba 2009 (L)

Reigning Miss Earth 2008, Karla Henry was a special guest in the pageant. Amy will be as the Environmental Ambassadress of the United States and will prepare to compete in MISS EARTH 2009 on November in the Philippines.

Amy Diaz is a veteran of beauty pageants.
1. Miss Rhode Island Teen USA 2001.

2. The 3rd runner-up in Miss Florida USA 2007.

3. Miss Rhode Island 2008 and Top 15 Semi-Finals in Miss USA 2008 beauty contest.

Amy Diaz Miss Rhode Island USA 2008

2009 Miss Earth United States titleholders:

Amy Diaz -Rhode Island - Miss Earth United States
Danielle Bounds - Mid-America - United States Miss Air
Anatasgia Pierre - Florida Sunshine - United States Miss Water
Dani Reeves - Central U.S. - United States Miss Fire

2009 Teen Earth United States titleholders:

Jolie-Noelle Schamber- Florida-Teen Earth United States
Logan Bidack - Oklahoma - United States Teen Air
Aubrey Carr - SW Florida - United States Teen Water
Songee Barker - Arizona - United States Teen Fire

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Miss Paraguay 2009

ASUNCION, Mareike Baumgarten was crowned Miss Universe Paraguay 2009 during the gala beauty pageant contest held on 10th July in Asuncion, the capital and largest city of Paraguay.

Newly Miss Universe Paraguay Mareike Baumgarten will compete at Miss Universe 2009 beauty pageant contest in the Bahamas.

Crownd favorite, Tamara Sosa was judged Miss World Paraguay, who will compete at Miss World 2009 beauty pageant contest in South Africa, London and Dubai.

While Romina Bogado as Miss International Paraguay, who will compete at Miss International 2009 in Japan and Macau.

Mareike Baumgarten - Miss Universe Paraguay 2009

Tamara Sosa - Miss World Paraguay 2009

Romina Bogado - Miss International Paraguay 2009

Miss US International 2009

The Filipino-American daughter of a couple from Cagayan de Oro City and Balingasag, Misamis Oriental has been crowned the new Miss United States International 2009!

Aileen Jan “A.J.” Valdehueza Yap, 20, won the title of Miss US-International 2009 during the pageant held July 7-10, 2009 at the Stafford Conference Centre in Houston, Texas. Aileen Jan Yap will represent the US in the 49th Miss International pageant to be held at the Venetian Macao Resort in Macau, China on November 7, 2009.

A.J. is the daughter of Dr. Romeo “Boy” Sy Yap of Cagayan de Oro City and Virgincita “Geget” Bautista Valdehueza Yap of Balingasag, Misamis Oriental. She is the younger of two siblings and has an older brother, Nathan.

“We are just so fortunate that the Lord granted us this wonderful gift,” proud Dad Boy Yap said in an email interview from Texas.

“ Saba kaayo ang auditorium, kay daghan kaayo sa among barkada ang nitambong. I was one proud father to see our daughter being crowned. For the family it is a very “crowning moment”.

Misamis Oriental Gov. Oscar Moreno and Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Constantino Jaraula have extended their warm greetings and congratulations.

In the final tally, Ms. Wyoming Keri Shar was chosen fourth runner up; Ms. California Kristy Davis, third runner up; Ms. Michigan Shawna Vale, second runner up and Ms. Florida Lees Darayanne Garcia, first runner up.

Miss US International 2009 Aileen Jan Yap and her court

“I thank God for what she is and what she has become,” Geget Yap said in an online interview from Texas. “It is truly a gift to have a beautiful daughter both in appearance and in character. I told her to wear the crown with dignity and pride yet with a humble heart.”

A.J. is a junior at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas majoring in biology. Her father Boy is a psychiatrist and Mom Geget is a nurse by profession and Director and Owner of Virginia’s Lakeview Personal Care Home in Texas, USA.

A.J. was selected by National Pageant Director Britt Harrison and other pageant directors from other states of MISS US INTERNATIONAL as Miss Texas US International 2009.

Miss Texas International 2009 Aileen Jan Yap
is crowned Miss US International 2009

She graduated as the Most Outstanding Student at the Sacred Heart School in Conroe, Texas and went on to graduate Summa cum Laude at Willis High School.

Boy, Geget and A.J. recently took a month-long vacation in Cagayan de Oro and Region X (Northern Mindanao) and was presented to the employees of the City Hall during the traditional flag-raising ceremony held every Monday.

“I loved CDO, everything was very close and I enjoyed spending time with my family there,” A.J. said. “I loved the malls the most in CDO and the least, was the traffic and rain.”

During her stay she went river rafting in the Cagayan river, visited the Chocolate Hills and Hinagdanan Cave in Bohol, Camiguin, Duka Bay Resort in Medina, Misamis Oriental, and petted a tiger at the Mantianak Zoo and Nature Park in Sugbongcogon.

She also admits developing an addiction to halo-halo which she says she could eat every day, besides the traditional Pinoy breakfast foods like Tapsilog and garlic fried rice. However, she has her reservations about balut.

She admits her parents being both in the medical profession were influential in her decision to pursue a career in pediatrics.

“I’ve always wanted to be a doctor, seeing how my parents can help someone else’s life and also seeing how rewarding it is to be able to help someone in need,” she said. “I want to specialize in pediatrics because I love kids, being the second youngest cousin, I have a lot of nieces and nephews and being around them help me decide how much I really enjoy being around children.”

Miss International is the fourth largest beauty pageant in the world. Around 70 contestants from all over the globe are expected to join the 49th edition of the pageant at the Venetian Macau Resort on November 7, 2009. Alejandra Andreu of Spain will crown her successor at the end of the event

Also called a Festival of Beauty or the Olympics of Beauty, contestants are expected to serve as “Ambassadors of Peace and Beauty”, demonstrating tenderness, benevolence, friendship, beauty, intelligence, ability to take action, and, most importantly, a great international sensibility.

The ultimate goal of the Miss International beauty pageant is to promote world peace, goodwill, and understanding.

The newly crowned Miss United States International 2009 Aileen Jan Yap with her dad Dr. Romeo “Boy” Sy Yap of Cagayan de Oro City and Mom Virginia “Geget” Bautista Valdehueza-Yap of Balingasag, Misamis Oriental

Miss Spain 2009

CANCUN, Mexico – Estibaliz Pereira Rabade was crowned Miss Spain 2009 on the weekend at the gala held for the first time in the Mexican Caribbean resort city of Cancun.

The 22-year-old brunette with brown eyes and standing 1.81 meters (5 ft. 11 in.) was selected from among 52 contestants for the title of most beautiful woman in Spain.

The panel of judges charged with choosing the new Miss Spain was headed by journalist Javier de Montini and made up of officials from the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, sponsors of the event and former beauty queens from the Latin American country.

Among the members of the panel were Miss Granada, Carmen Laura Garcia Fernandez, as the First Lady of Honor, and Miss Jaen, Alejandra Echevarria Pedrajas, as Second Lady of Honor.

Besides her physical beauty, her personality and “clear and direct” way of expressing herself were key elements in the judges’ decision to choose Pereira, the head of the panel told Efe.

Pereira, a native of the northwestern city of La Coruña, enjoyed from the first the admiration of her fellow contestants who, in interviews with Efe last Wednesday during the visit they made to the Isla Mujeres enclave, said that she was one of the favorites.

The young woman stood out over the other candidates from the start of the gala contest, which took place in the city’s convention center and had a marked Mexican flavor.

Miss Spain 2009 Estibaliz Pereira, center,
poses with runner ups Carmen Laura Garcia, left,
and Alejandra Echevarria, right,
during the Miss Spain 2009 competition in
Cancun, Mexico, Sunday, July 19, 2009.

The 52 aspirants paraded in bathing suits and evening dresses across the stage, which was decorated with reproductions of ancient Maya structures.

The music for the affair was provided by Spanish singer, Pastora Soler, who sang two numbers from her latest album, “Bendita locura,” and by Cuban duo BNK, as well as by a group of Mayaesque dancers, who presented spectacular choreographed works based on ancestral rites.

The gala was headed by television host Sandra Barneda and by Mister Spain 2007, Luis Muñoz, and other familiar faces were also involved, such as Spanish actors Santiago Urrialde and Dani Muriel.

Mexico also contributed a note of glamour with the participation of soap opera stars Kate del Castillo and Aaron Diaz, along with Venezuelan actress Catherine Fulop.

Miss Spain 2008 Patricia Rodriguez, center, crowns Miss Spain 2009 Estibaliz Pereira, right, from Coruna, in the celebration of Miss Spain 2009 in Cancun, Mexico, Sunday, July 19, 2009.

Miss England 2009

History was made in London.

Great Britain crowned 20-year-old Rachel Christie as Miss England during the country's annual pageant at London's Metropole Hilton Hotel

Competing as Miss London City, Christie edged out her rivals to claim the title and will now compete for the Miss World crown in Johannesburg in December.

But competition is nothing new for this London-born beauty.

Christie specializes in the heptathlon and the 400 meters and is hoping to join the ranks of the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Her uncle is British Olympic gold medalist Linford Christie, who stands as the most decorated British athlete. He is also regarded as the second fastest European in history and even has a stadium in West London named in his honor.

"My ambition in life is to compete and win gold in the 2012 Olympics," Christie told reporters. "I would also love to do well in Miss England. I want to be successful in whatever I choose to do in life."

Rachel Christie (C) poses with Katrina Hodge (R) and Viki Bailey (L)

Katrina Hodge, a 21-year-old soldier decorated for her bravery in Iraq, came in second in the Miss England grand final, which was decided after a public vote.

According to the pageant's Web site, "the girls are talented, healthy and well-educated and are all vying for the privilege of representing England at the Miss World contest in South Africa later in the year."

"And before you ask...there are no size zeros in this bunch either! All the girls take an avid interest in sport and dance, so healthy eating plays a major part in their lives ... you won't find them pushing a side salad round the plate," pageant spokespersonDee Carpenter said.

Though it boasted an entry list that "looks like a veritable roll call of stunning young women from all backgrounds and ethnicity, representing a truly multicultural England," detractors tried to mire the event.

Outside of the pageant, protesters held banners bearing signs that read "every woman is a queen" and "beauty is not skin deep." London's Daily Mail newspaper reported that last night's protest echoed similar demonstrations held last year when the Miss University London competition was branded "misogynist" by some student groups.

"This is absolutely fantastic," London-based media personality, singer and fashion designer Mica Paris told The BV Newswire about the news. "Thank God; this sends a message to the media in Britain that black is beautiful too."

And the folks over at Pride magazine, U.K'.s leading periodical targeting black woman, share the same sentiments.

"It's incredible to see such a strong, ambitious and inspirational black woman winning the Miss England crown," the monthly magazine's fashion and beauty editorShevelle Rhule added. "She is a great role model to young teens and proves that beauty comes in all forms and that includes black."

Miss England 2008 and was one of the judges, Laura Coleman during this glitzy evening handed over her crown to Rachel.

Rachel Christie (Miss England 2009) with Kseniya Sukhnova(Miss World 2008)