Twenty-year-old coed Mipsen Calves fulfilled a childhood dream when she was crowned Miss San Carlos City 2020 during the virtual pageant night held on Monday.
Calves, a freshman Political Science student at the University of San Carlos in Cebu City, bested six other candidates to win this year’s title after a more than three-hour spectacle streamed on Facebook Live.
In the Question and Answer round, she shared her advocacy to help farmers to show their value to the society.
“At some point in our lives, we need teachers to educate us, we need doctors to heal us, we need lawyers to defend us, but every day, we need farmers to feed us,” Calves said.
A daughter of a teacher and a seaman, the aspiring lawyer wants to give back to the community by raising funds for farmers through “Project Paglaum” this Christmas season.
“It’s my childhood dream to join the pageant. I believe that this platform, more than the title and the crown, has a deeper meaning. In becoming Miss San Carlos 2020, I will have the voice to raise awareness on the problems happening in the field and I can be the spokesperson for individuals who don’t get enough value and attention in the community,” she added.
Competing for the title amid a pandemic came with a lot of challenges, said the newly-crowned queen, who loves to read books, edit videos, make scrap books, and explore nature.
“I heard a lot of negativity. Balancing it with my academics was not easy, it came to the point that I wanted to back out, but there were people who believed in me, supported me, and lifted me up,” Calves said.
More than anything, her “faith and trust in God” kept her going.
“It is a manifestation of God’s goodness if you just believe in yourself and have a reliable circle to cry and rely on. There’s no doubt you will embody the true essence of a queen,” she said.
Aside from winning the crown, Calves was also awarded Miss Photogenic, Best in Advocacy Video, and Best in Costume.
Her court included Miss Pinta Flores Zeny Luague and Miss Tourism Juliana Laguda. – NLG
