PROMOTING physical fitness and a healthier lifestyle for Dabawenyos.
The Newly Crowned Mutya ng Davao 2023 Maria Isabel Pelayo has been the advocate of the Newly Crowned Mutya ng Davao 2023, especially for women and Dabawenyo workers, during her reign.
“My advocacy is women’s fitness and health, [and] of all Dabawenyos because it’s always important to keep your body healthy,” Pelayo said in an ambush interview.
“Since there are a lot of working class people in Davao City, we really need our bodies to function purposefully in our work,” added Pelayo.
Pelayo, who is a fitness instructor, said physical health and fitness are helpful and beneficial and urged Dabawenyos to spend time staying healthy.
She said the election will be a great help in fulfilling her advocacy and getting to know more people about how she can help promote physical fitness.
“Of course it’s about reaching people. I need to get to know people’s concerns better so that I know how to help them and it’s a good direction for me to go for the goodness of Davao,” Pelayo said.
Pelayo, who hails from Indangan, Davao City, defeated 29 other candidates during the coronation night at the Gymnasium of the University of Southeastern Philippines (Usep) on Friday, March 17.
She participated in the Mutya ng Davao for the first time and said her experience was like a dream.
“It’s so unreal, mura lang ko og nagdamgo (it feels like a dream), but it’s here, and now I have my purpose and a direction I have to serve the Dabawenyos and I will,” Pelayo said .
During the final question and answer section, candidates were asked, “There is a phenomenon called the feminization of poverty, which means that more women are affected by poverty than men. What do you think about poverty as a gender experience and what can you do as Mutya ng Dabaw to address this?”
“I believe that poverty is not gender-related at all. It is perceived as a social problem. It is normal [so] happens that there could be a lack of opportunity, resulting in more of them living in poverty,” Pelayo replied.
“As Mutya, I will push more for them to have more opportunities, more opportunities especially equal to men,” she added.
When asked how she got that answer, she said she knows people who are going through a similar situation.
“I came up with it from my experience, and I know I have my own peers who are having a hard time finding jobs or opportunities that are causing them financial difficulties and I can really understand what it means for some women to have good opportunities,” said Pelayo.
Meanwhile, Joanna Marie Franken was named Diwa ng Davao 2023 while Jamyla Diane Ampis was crowned Sinag ng Davao 2023.
The Pag-asa ng Dabaw 2023 is Dulce Amor Lumictin while the crowd favorite Piligrina Jendy Bentayao was acclaimed Patnubay ng Dabaw 2023.
For the special awards, Miss Congeniality was awarded to Romena Ella Vidal while
Hanna Maj Piccio was named Best in Talent. Franken was also named Miss Photogenic, while Bentayao was also named Miss Smart. ICE