MEXICO, Pampanga – Of legal age, prettier and more intelligent.
This was how Kim J. Isip describes this year’s Lakan at Mutya Ning Mexico candidates during an interview at the Golden Fields resort here recently.
Isip, the pageant’s director and co-chair, said all 27 candidates (14 men and 13 women), are prettier, lovely and the most intellectual compared with other previous batches.
“This is because we have a different process in selecting candidates compared before and we opened the screening so we could get the best ones,” he said.
In a bid to prevent issues about exploitation of women and minors, Isip stressed that a candidate should be 18 years old and above to qualify for the pageant. “Iniiwasan kasi ni mayor [Teddy Tumang] na magkaroon ng issue tungkol sa edad.”
Tumang is the sole sponsor of the event while his wife February is the chairwoman.
Isip also said that 90 percent of the candidates are studying in various universities and colleges in Pampanga.
Held annually, he added that the Lakan and Mutya is one of the most prestigious beauty pageants in the province.
“A lot of Kapampangans await and watch it just like the Miss Mabalacat and the Lakan at Mutya ning San Fernando,” he said.
Pageant winners will represent their respective towns and cities in the Mutya Ning Kapampangan held every December.
Pre-pageant for the Mutya and Lakan will be held on April 29 and April 30 respectively at The Event Center in SM City Pampanga. Coronation night will be on May 2 at the Mexico gymnasium.
VIEWS ON CURRENT ISSUES
Candidates have different views and opinions about the Reproductive Health (RH) bill.
For the Mutya, half of them are in favor of the RH bill saying that “it’s the guidance of the parents that matters.”
“Madami pong nag-aanak tapos hindi naman kayang pakainin ng mga magulang so dumadami ang mga street children,” they said.
For those who are against the RH bill, they said that “people are assets of a country and they help build its economy.”
On the other hand, pro-RH Lakan candidates said the bill if passed into law will help prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections and HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
“Population is a major problem in our country, and considered as the mother of all issues. Dumadami ang mga tao kaya dumadami din ang mga mahirap dahil hindi masuportahan ng gubyerno,” one of the Lakan said.
Anti-RH candidates, however, stressed that a lot of Filipinos get poorer not because of the population but because of rampant corruption in the government.
Most of the Lakan and Mutya candidates said they are against abortion.
This was how Kim J. Isip describes this year’s Lakan at Mutya Ning Mexico candidates during an interview at the Golden Fields resort here recently.
Isip, the pageant’s director and co-chair, said all 27 candidates (14 men and 13 women), are prettier, lovely and the most intellectual compared with other previous batches.
“This is because we have a different process in selecting candidates compared before and we opened the screening so we could get the best ones,” he said.
In a bid to prevent issues about exploitation of women and minors, Isip stressed that a candidate should be 18 years old and above to qualify for the pageant. “Iniiwasan kasi ni mayor [Teddy Tumang] na magkaroon ng issue tungkol sa edad.”
Tumang is the sole sponsor of the event while his wife February is the chairwoman.
Isip also said that 90 percent of the candidates are studying in various universities and colleges in Pampanga.
Held annually, he added that the Lakan and Mutya is one of the most prestigious beauty pageants in the province.
“A lot of Kapampangans await and watch it just like the Miss Mabalacat and the Lakan at Mutya ning San Fernando,” he said.
Pageant winners will represent their respective towns and cities in the Mutya Ning Kapampangan held every December.
Pre-pageant for the Mutya and Lakan will be held on April 29 and April 30 respectively at The Event Center in SM City Pampanga. Coronation night will be on May 2 at the Mexico gymnasium.
VIEWS ON CURRENT ISSUES
Candidates have different views and opinions about the Reproductive Health (RH) bill.
For the Mutya, half of them are in favor of the RH bill saying that “it’s the guidance of the parents that matters.”
“Madami pong nag-aanak tapos hindi naman kayang pakainin ng mga magulang so dumadami ang mga street children,” they said.
For those who are against the RH bill, they said that “people are assets of a country and they help build its economy.”
On the other hand, pro-RH Lakan candidates said the bill if passed into law will help prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections and HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
“Population is a major problem in our country, and considered as the mother of all issues. Dumadami ang mga tao kaya dumadami din ang mga mahirap dahil hindi masuportahan ng gubyerno,” one of the Lakan said.
Anti-RH candidates, however, stressed that a lot of Filipinos get poorer not because of the population but because of rampant corruption in the government.
Most of the Lakan and Mutya candidates said they are against abortion.
