Fiesta Fever: Search for Ms Dagami 2008
The municipality of Dagami, Leyte celebrated its fiesta May 26 & 27 but just like any other fiesta celebration in the Philippines, events prior to The Fiesta are numerous. And of course, there’s no escaping the beauty title search!
The lady of the house was invited by Dagami Mayor Esmeralda Ortega to be one of the members of the Board of Judges, together with Mayor Charry Chan of Babatngon, Leyte and Atty. Tarcelo Sabarre who headed the board as chairman. It was an opportunity for me to shoot photos. Beauties for targets, at that! 
To be honest about it, I dread watching your typical beauty contests on local TV, how much more for those in interior towns. But, boy, was I in for a surprise lately. Things do change. And yes, for the better!
Productions are now better handled with good-enough lighting, sound and SFX, with audio-video support and computers and tightly managed (although in Dagami it still stretched till 1 in the morning!) The candidates were pretty attractive, and production numbers were good!
But don’t expect much progress in the Q & A portion. Indeed, RP’s educational system has made a tragic comedy of the young generation’s diction and fluency in English thus making this portion one fine comic entertainment segment! And no thanks to the candidates’ gay coaches (I have nothing against gays, except probably in this area), all of the aspirants ended their spiels and answers to queries with the standard SOP: “That-would-be-all-I-thank-you!” Syempre, with a matching postcard-perfect stance and smile. I wonder how many generations it would take before another catch-all standard reply becomes the new norm hehe 
Sure, here are the photos…
(Left) Ms. Cherry C. Ibañez (Candidate #6), Ms. Dagami 2008; (right) Ms. Melody Ann C. Mellona (#5), 2nd Runner Up
(Right photo) Ms. Roji May V. Dumanog (Candidate #1)
Ms. April Marie M. Diaz (#2), 1st Runner Up, during the Talent Portion
Ms. Ma. Quennie C. Marquez (#3)
Ms. Cherry C. Ibañez (#6), Ms. Dagami 2008
Ms. Marishin M. Bato (#9)
(Left) Ms. April Marie M. Diaz (#2) 1st Runner Up; (right) Ms. Melody Ann C. Mellona (#5), 2nd Runner Up
(L-r) Ms. Melody Ann C. Mellona (#5), 2nd Runner Up; Ms. Cherry C. Ibañez (#6), Ms. Dagami 2008; and Ms. April Marie M. Diaz (#2), 1st Runner Up.
Ms. Ludette Ruiz, Dagami Mayor Esmeralda Ortega, Ms. Mellona (2nd Runner Up), Ms. Ibañez (Ms. Dagami 2008), Ms Diaz (1st Runner Up), Babatngon Mayor Charry Chan, Atty. Tarcelo Sabarre, and Dagami Vice Mayor Antonio Diaz.
View the full gallery (110 photos) at http://callezaragosa.com/MsDagami2008-LRGallery/index.html
Here are the Candidates for the Search for Ms Dagami 2008:
- Roji May V. Dumanog
- April Marie M. Diaz
- Ma. Quennie M. Marquez
- Merly G. Laurona
- Melody Ann C. Mellona
- Cherry C. Ibañez
- Myra May C. Yu
- Mary Anne S. Reandino
- Marishin M. Bato
I must be really coming from an old school. I can’t believe the women I am seeing in these photos are Filipino women more so from Leyte.
They’re pretty much close to being bare naked in their swimsuits(?)
Is this the kind of pageants already? Is this still considered a Beauty Pageant? Sorry, I don’t mean to be rude but this is just my personal opinion. Thank you for the opportunity to send my comments.
La la la la –
Our women are beautiful, that’s all I can say
thanks tito for the spectacular photos from the miss dagami…
okay, magaganda lahat sila