Miss Earth candidates attend Batangas City celebration

BATANGAS City, Philippines— Miss Earth 2011 candidates on Monday joined the celebration of Batangas City residents and officials after the city won a gold medal in an international environmental competition (best City Environment Code) sponsored by the International Awards for Livable Communities recently in Songpa, South Korea.
Twenty eight Miss Earth candidates arrived at St. Bridget College Center for the Arts in Batangas City Monday morning to attend the city’s celebration program, showcasing cultural performances by Dangal ng Lungsod Batangan Chorale and the University of Batangas Chorale.

For the competition held last October 27 to November 1 in Songpa, the USAID Philippines Climate Change and Clean Energy Project (CEnergy) funded the production of an audio-visual display shown during the contest, which showcased the city government’s greenhouse gas accounting and management.

USAID Energy Policy adviser Lilly Gutierrez said that to date, Batangas City completed its Entity Level GHG Inventory Report and is now working on its community-level GHG Inventory.

The International Awards for Livable Communities, launched in 1997, is an international competition that promotes environmental best practice among local government units.

“USAID takes pride that Climate Change and Clean Energy Project is working with exemplary local government units like Batangas City with a dynamic and proactive leadership led by Mayor Vilma Dimacuha,” Gutierez said.

She said that they were also honored to be working with the Miss Earth Foundation, which has organized an environmental seminar on climate change and renewable energy for this year’s candidates “to equip them [candidates] not only with basic concepts, but also to encourage our ambassadors of the environment to creatively promote green lifestyle.”

Miss Earth candidates arrived in Pontefino Hotel and Residences here in Batangas City Sunday morning for pre-pageant activities including a swimwear fashion show and a tree-planting activity.

The Miss Earth coronation night will be held at the University of the Philippines Theater on December 3.