Cebuana beauty to dance in Sinulog

Another beauty titlist has committed to dance in the 2013 Sinulog finale in the Cebu City Sports Center on Jan. 20.

Rizzini Alexis Gomez who won the recent Miss Tourism International (MTI) at Sunway Resort and Spa in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia , is the second Cebuana beauty queen in recent years to dance in the Sinulog after 2008 Miss Earth winner Karla Henry.

At the Mactan airport, where she arrived yesterday, the 22-year-old, registered nurse of the University of Cebu said she will dance in the Sinulog finale as her way of thanking the Sto. Niño for her pageant win.

This means she gets to put on a Filipiniana gown, and rehearse dancing with the Sto. Niño image in her arms backed by a cast of Cebu City Sinulog dancers.

Rizzini said Ricky Ballesteros of Sinulog Foundation Inc. (SFI) called her father Ruel Gomez, a former Alaska player in the Philippine Basketball Association, to ask Rizzini to dance in the Sinulog 2013 finale.

“Yes dad, please say yes,” said Rizzini, recalling her spontaneous reply.

Rizzini will join the Mutya ng Pilipinas float with other Mutya winners.

Her younger brother Kim Gomez was present during the coronation night since their father had a fever and couldn’t fly to Malaysia.

“I told her to just pray, just do her best,” Kim said.

Rizzini said she couldn’t believe that she won the Miss Tourism International pageant a day after it was held.

“When I woke up on January 1 around 8 a.m, I told myself, ‘Did that really happen? When I looked up my bed side table there was the crown.’”

As pageant winner, Rizzini gets to travel abroad to promote the event. She said she will return to school and pursue a Masters in Nursing degree after her reign ends.

Rizzini made a courtesy call on Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes yesterday. She is scheduled to meet today with Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and UC president Augusto Go.