Miss Portugal is Goddess of Albay

By Rhaydz B. Barcia

LEGAZPI CITY --- Miss Earth candidate Telma Madeira, 18, of Portugal, was declared Goddess of Albay in the recently concluded swimsuit and long gown competition here.

She bested 29 other candidates in the competition.

Medeira is Miss Earth 2018 in Portugal but in Albay she is a “goddess” for showcasing her best in all aspect of the competition in the countryside.

She received $3,000 cash prize from Noel De Luna of Kusog Bikolandia while the silver, (Miss Philippines candidate Silvia Celeste Cortesi) and bronze winners received $1,000 each also given by De Luna.

As goddess of Albay, De Luna wants Medeira to promote the tourism destinations of the Philippines, specifically the Bicol region, including the campaign to fight against climate change.

The Miss Earth beauty pageant, whose most coveted title, Goddess of the Earth, aims to heighten public consciousness on environmental protection.

Win or lose De Luna wishes the goddess of Albay to be an ambassador of Albay to promote tourism and environment, including all candidates who visited Albay a week ago here. Telma Madeira represents Portugal at the Miss Earth 2018 competition.

“My advocacy is act local, help global because I believe that for the minimal action that we can do we can save mother earth. And that starts off minimal action are start with education,” Thelma told the Bicol Mail.

‘If we educate the children first and try to re-educate the adults I think we are going to have a community that will take care of the environment for the common good,” she added.

Madeira expressed sadness that one of the pressing issues and practices being done by the people today is the unmindful pollution of the environment, specifically the seas.

“Some people said that 50 years from now we will have more plastic in the ocean than fish because of sea pollution. So if we rethink about our action than the way we are treating the environmental nowadays l really think we are going to have a gorgeous environment,” she said.

The candidates of Miss Earth 2018 conducted simultaneous activities in different towns of Albay specifically in Tabaco City where they tried driving the locals’ padyak and witnessed the city’ cutlery making); taro planting and pinangat cooking in Camalig; longganisa making in Guinobatan and tree planting and ATV ride at Cagsawa Ruins Park in Daraga town.