Jeanica Perpose was a dual winner Saturday during the 46th Terno Ball benefiting the Kaua‘i Women’s Filipino Club.
Perpose finished the most beautiful terno contest as the first runner-up, and came back to take the most elegant couple crown with CJ Menor during the evening where the ballroom at the Royal Sonesta Kaua‘i Resort Lihu‘e was filled with local businesses, residents and government leaders from Kaua‘i and O‘ahu.
Deandrei Gonzales topped the most beautiful terno category, with Tia Kawamura finishing as second runner-up.
In the finest barong contest, Greyson Lucas won the hearts of the judges, with Mario Trinidad and Kaua‘i County Councilmember KipuKai Kuali‘i finishing as first and second runners-up, respectively.
“The people were ecstatic about being able to celebrate following two years of this illustrious event’s absence,” said Barbara Green, president of the Kaua‘i Filipino Women’s Club that hosts the Terno Ball as a signature fundraising event for the club’s scholarships that are presented to young women graduating from Kaua‘i’s high schools.
“Hawai‘i state Sen. Bennette Misalucha and Rep. Nadine Nakamura presented the Kaua‘i Filipino Women’s Club with a certificate of recognition recognizing the positive impact, demonstration of unique culture and the thousands of dollars in scholarships the organization has awarded since the club’s formation in 1955.”
Fire-knife dancer Pomaika‘i set the stage for the evening of cultural presentations, including the Tsunami Taiko, whose drumbeats were followed by cultural dances of the Philippines.
“The fabulous Bailes de Jose dancers made their grand entrance adorned in Philippine cultural regalia,” Green said. “The collaborative number between the two cultures was symbolic as the honorable Mayor Derek Kawakami had commented on during his message.”
Greg Gabayo of O‘ahu was the entertainment headliner.
“The comedian/hypnotist is a professional, certified stage master hypnotist who not only had 12 brave volunteers speaking Chinese, modeling down a fashion runway and river dancing, but also managed to get our very own County Councilmember Billy DeCosta to rock the audience in the stylings of Elvis Presley’s ‘Jailhouse Rock,’ and serenade them with ‘Falling in Love With You,’” Green said.
Charlmaine Bulosan, Terno Ball chair, expressed appreciation to the hardworking members of the Terno Ball Committee and the many sponsors for the different phases, including a silent auction.
“Like a true queen, Kiele Casillas, the 2022-23 Miss Kaua‘i Filipina, flew back to be with her Kaua‘i Filipino community from her college campus in Arizona,” Bulosan said. “Miss Casillas delivered the invocation for the evening.”
