With the popularity of music festivals like Coachella, the bohemian lifestyle is making a comeback. And in a time where there is a convergence of art, music and even fashion, individualism is even more rampant. Five ladies, of varied foreign descents, one being half-German, another half-Bahraini and the other half-American, could not be any more different from each other. What they do share in common is a concerted effort to promote Cebu. When this is the case, everyone is cheering them on.

Are these the same girls on that pageant night? On the boat ride to Talima island for our location shoot, sitting across from the five top winners of the recently concluded Miss Cebu contest, I could not help but wonder. Miss Cebu is the long-time project of the Cebu City Government through the Cebu City Tourism Commission and Cebu City Tourism Foundation Inc. From the second row where we were seated at the pageant, the girls looked a bit more regal, poised and mature. These girls in front of me now looked way younger, more uninhibited and raw. No perfectly coifed hair, no reservations, but with megawatt smiles. Then it occurred to me these were real girls, with real roles to play.

The One With the Answer

Mia Faridoon, in her sequined gown with a cascading train by Wendel Quisido, wowed the audience with an answer that garnered her the win. “As a mass communications student, I learned that the most effective tool

in transmitting your message is through word of mouth. If given the chance to be Miss Cebu, I will use my recognition to spread the qualities that I should exude as a Filipino. And, as a Cebuana, I can do this with my qualities, by keeping my values, by showing confidence and intellect on what I know, in ways of promoting nation-building. Being one, being proud of where we are and being proud of who we are. And I can start first as a Cebuana then as a Filipino.”

It’s hard to imagine a nineteen-year-old, wearing high heels for the first time, in front of thousands in the audience, come up with this answer within seconds. Perhaps it stems from her training and experience as a third-year student of the University of the Philippines. Or it could be that having been immersed in different cultures — she lived in Bahrain for six years — she has developed an astute sense of where she can be most productive and useful.

The Dark Horse

Her dark skin and fine Filipina features set her apart from most of the fair and foreign-looking finalists of the pageant. On stage, completely transformed in a Cary Santiago, Teffanie Lene LLamada was a vision in black. She even surprised herself by wining second runner-up. The twenty-one-year-old registered nurse is a different persona from the dusky and mysterious beauty queen she was on stage. While young people usually take up nursing so they can land work overseas, Teffanie sees herself rendering her services here in the country where she said she’s needed most. Her mission achievable, “I can help as much as I can, like joining medical missions and conducting free seminars. In the field of education, start with the children; inform them of the right precepts and moral values through recreational activities. Remember, children play.” She is also looking to teach special children.

Miss Congeniality

Vanessa Ammann, like other gorgeous young girls, is fun-loving and is not afraid to be herself in the world. She spent a few of her growing years in Germany but is based here now. She models part-time and has endorsed a nation-wide department chain and a telecommunications company. Vanessa is the daughter of councilor Queenie Ammann, and with her inherent charms and winsome personality, she has what it takes to someday be in politics. For now though, as the third runner-up of Miss Cebu 2011, she has her sights set on having her own travel TV show and promoting Cebu to the world.

Reluctant Beauty

Aiko Lyanne Serrano is a dead ringer for the Japanese supermodel Ai Tominaga with her sleek long black hair, almond eyes and slender silhouette. Her Oriental features are captivating, but she seems blindly unaware of this and comes off a bit shy and aloof. The twenty-one-year-old beauty recently passed the board exams for nursing. She has a quiet strength and does not believe that there are shortcuts in life. “The greatest tasks are achieved through pure hard work, perseverance and determination.”

Her Own Heroine

Contrary to what her name suggests, her life has not been a bed of roses. The nineteen-year-old eldest of four, Rosemary Gore has been strong and kept her family together after the passing of her American father a few years back. Rather than dwelling on her past, she stays optimistic of the future and sees herself as a “lucky soul.” She is driven and focused on training to be physically, mentally and emotionally fit for the US Navy where she is enlisted to join in July of this year. She breaks the mold and is exemplary of the new Cebuana.

With each her own story to tell, their lives here in Cebu have affected who they have become. And as the new ambassadors of Cebu, they carry the banner of positive change in the Philippines. But for now, at least for the shoot, they can just be young, carefree, uber optimistic hippies.

• sittings editor: Katsy Borromeo
• photography: Jan Gonzales
• art stylist: Mikey Sanchez
• fashion stylist: Sam and Mai Briones
• fashion assistant: Pia Echevarria
• hair and make-up: James Canete and Rj del Mar
• locale: Talima Adventure and Waterpark