LIHUE — In less than 20 days, we’ll find out who the 2019-20 Miss Hawaii Filipina will be, said Nancy Apalla of the Kauai Filipino Community Council Sunday.
The Miss Hawaii Filipina Scholarship Pageant will take place on Kauai Saturday, July 27, at 7 p.m. at the Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall, coinciding with the state convention of the Hawaii Filipino Community Council.
“Who will be crowned by the reigning Miss Hawaii Filipina Joylene Tabon?” asked Apalla, who along with Celia Melchor-Questin serve as co-chairs of the Hawaii state pageant. “We’ll find out on July 27.”
The Miss Filipina royalty from the islands of Hawaii, Maui, Oahu and Kauai gathered along with Tabon at an orientation meeting.
The pageant and HFCC convention rotate between the four islands, and the Kauai Filipino Community Council, led by president Mario Trinidad, is the host organization, this year.
Candidates for the state crown include Miss Kauai Filipina Isabel Gampon, Miss Oahu Filipina Nicole Kawahara, Miss Hawaii Filipina Sarah Barry, and Miss Maui Filipina Mary Grace Basig.
Kaleo Carvalho, Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami’s protocol officer, will be joined by former Miss Kauai Filipina Stephanie Sadora Iwasaki in co-emceeing the state pageant that will be peppered with local entertainment features.
A limited number of tickets for the state pageant are available at Mama Lucy’s in Puhi, Mokihana Travel in Lihue, or at Dr. Antolin Apalla’s office in Lihue.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
when are we going to have a ‘Miss Haole’ contest on Hawaii?
Have you looked at the historical winners of the Miss Hawaii USA pageant?
Ever been to any European ethnic event in your life, Mrs Jones?