by Susan Palmes-Dennis
Charlotte, North Carolina--Eleven candidates will compete for the Kalayaan at Kagandahan ng Pilipinas pageant to be held at the New Tintin Restaurant in 10215 Park Road, Charlotte on Saturday, July 7.
The event is part of the comemoration of Philippine Independence Day here at Charlotte, NC and is hosted by the Filipino-American Community of the Carolinas, Inc. (FACC).
Tonette Asay was appointed by FACC 2018 president Jyoti Friedland to organize and head the search.
The 11 candidates are Conception Paylor, Diannah Rose Sumile Capunay, Lindsay Carter, Karen Dalton, Eilleen de Guzman, Connie Vitug, Nikki Shindler, Mellow Shindler, Cecelia Tolbert, Ashley Faye Perez and Elvie Bramich.
Contestants will be judged based on their intelligence, sincerity, honesty, diction, beauty, poise, stage presence and overall appearance.
There would be a casual wear, formal wear and interview portions and they will be scored on their answers.
Among the titles up for grabs are Bb.Pilipinas Carolina, Bb. Pilipinas Carolina Earth, Best in Gown, Ms. Talent and Ms. Congeniality. The board of judges consist of Rose Talley, Muffy Therrien and Dwayne Asay.
The candidates were asked to answer five questions: Indicate who they are, where they were from, when they were born, their early life, important figure/s in their lives, words of wisdom from their influencer, and how these words impact their lives.
Among the candidates are:
Born in San Juan, Batangas, Philippines May 17, 2000, she spent some time in San Juan, Batangas with relatives.
In high school she was active in her school choir and theater club, varsity table tennis and dance company. She also joined the Senakulo sponsored by the parish church in the town plaza.
She graduated from Rocky River High School and is preparing to join the Navy. She considers actress Emma Watson as an influence for going back to school despite being in showbiz.
Her words to live by were “beauty is not physical but experience, of living a full life.” “It will remind me about the importance of life and not always the material things,” she said.
Cecelia Tolbert.
Cecilia is 16 years old, born on April 22 and raised in Dallas, NC with two brothers, one older and one younger. She attended a private Catholic school for nine years.
She loves art and considers her mother Runa as a major influence for teaching her how to live and enjoy life. She wants to take up a Physical Therapy course.
Concepcion Paylor.
Originally Elma Auman, Concepcion was born on September 15, 1970 in Placer town, Masbate province in the Philippines and lived in a farm with a family of nine.
With no electricity at home, Concepcion walked miles to go to school and this taught her to work hard for everything in her life. She said her mother, Filipina Auman, taught her to be strong and she now imparts that strength to her children.
She said her mother taught her to value education and to be humble and respectful towards other people. She graduated at the Southern Masbate Roosevelt College. If she wins, she plans to donate her winnings to a church or charity in the Philippines.
Diannah Rose Sumile Capunay
Born in the Philippines on February 24, 1998, she and her sister were raised by her mother who met another man that became Diannah's stepfather.
At 20 years of age, she said she experienced “many interesting and diverse people” during family gatherings and she considers her mother, who brought her and her sister to the US, as a major influence in her life.
She said her mother inspired her to work hard and to care for other people. She plans to become a model or actress and a victory in the pageant is a good stepping stone for those goals.
Elvira Bramich
Born in Benguet Baguio City, she grew up in Cebu. A single mother, she graduated with a Computer Science degree at the Divine Mercy Computer College and later earned an Information Technology degree at ITT Tech North Carolina.
Her words of wisdom are to “always put onerself in the other's shoes” to appreciate their status in life. If she wins, she wants to be active in fund raisers and ministries.
Lindsay Klaire Bobares Carter.
At 16 years old, Lindsay was born in Tacloban City, Leyte on May 17, 2002. She is in 10th grade at Cox Mill High School and is a member of the National Beta Club, Key Club International, HOSA club, and art club.
She babysits for kids in her neighborhood every day after school and is an active volunteer in the children’s ministry of Concord International Church. I am also a member of the Couples for Christ (CFC) Youth for Christ.
She is in the top 100 in her class of 2020 and was chosen to be a part of the Cambridge International Program in 2015 and 2016.
She graduated summa cum laude at Cabarrus Charter Academy and considers volleyball as her sport of choice, attending Davidson College Volleyball Camp and Carolina Juniors Volleyball camps.
She is passionate about science and loves to read and write in her spare time. She volunteers at local food banks, nursing homes, and many school events.
She lost her dad who passed away when she was about to turn four years old. She said she learned to process her grief and considers her mother to be her major influence.
Describing herself as “independent, well driven, and hardworking” she dreams of becoming a model and she is optimistic that she can achieve her goals in life in time.
Connie Marilou Rodis Vitug.
She wanted to become a doctor but due to the long years of study she took up dentistry instead, graduating in 1984 at Centro Escolar University College of Dentistry and passing the dental board exam.
She worked in the Philippines and spent four years working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a dental supervisor in Sigal Dental Center.
She was a board member of the San Juan Dental Chapter of the Philippine Dental Association from 1995-1996 and became vice president from 1996-1997. She’s a single mom to her three daughters ages 34, 32 and 28.
As of the moment she already has four grandkids from her two daughters back in the Philippines. Like any immigrant, she had the American dream when she moved to the US in 2007 with her youngest daughter Ivy.
She worls as a nursing assistant in Novant Health Hospital and her faith in God sustains her life in the US. If she wins, she wants to join in dental outreach programs in the US.
Born in the Philippines on Sept. 21, 1992 she moved to the US when she was eight years old and lived with her aunt at Davidson, NC and later moved to Mooresville.
After high school she went to Mars Hill in her first year in college then transferred to UNC-Charlotte where she graduated with a Sociology degree with a minor in Women and Gender Studies. She will graduate with a Masters degree in Legal Studies (MLS) at Washington University School of Law.
As a kid she loved to play outside until sundown. She said she knew what it was to grow up hungry in poor but it shouldn't stop people from finding their purpose in life.
She had many people whom she considers as an influence including her teacher Janet Kurtz who told her that education is key to moving ahead in life.
She said people like her should work hard to get what they want and to be themseves, to stay humble and remain optimistic.
If she wins, she plans to donate half of her winnings to Hope House Foundation in Huntsville, NC. She plans to set up a business in the Philippines and work for providing shelter to the homeless.
Karen Dalton
Born in Bayawan City, Negros Oriental, Karen is a 32-year-old mother of three. She said she wants to share her knowledge and ideas to those around her and to help people and care for animals.
Her words of wisdom are to “live, love and to be patient, humble and kind to other people since life is too short to be lived in any other way.”
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