FILIPINO-Syrian model Naelah Alshorbaji beat 65 other pageant hopefuls as she was declared the winner of the recent Miss Philippines Earth 2021 contest. She is set to represent the country in the Miss Earth 2021 pageant.
The search for the new Miss Earth Philippines representative was held online due to the pandemic. The selection committee was composed of Michael Siefert, Carousel Productions executive VP Lorraine Schuck, weather anchor/TV host Kim Atienza, Miss Earth 2018 Nguyen Phuong Khanh, TV host/model Marc Nelson and Miss Earth 2020 Lindsey Coffey.
Alshorbaji is no stranger to beauty pageants. Prior to her win in the Miss PH Earth 2021, she placed 4th runner-up in the Miss Manila pageant in 2017 and won Miss Parañaque in 2019.
According to her profile on the Miss PH Earth website, Naelah grew up on a farm in Syria. Her fondest memories include swimming and her bonding time with the Alshorbaji Alzamik clan. At the age of 11, she moved to the Philippines due to the Syrian civil war.
In the pageant’s final question-and-answer portion, the top 10 candidates were asked how they are going to pursue their goals despite the ongoing health crisis.
Alshorbsaji answered, “I believe that despite the restrictions in terms of the pandemic, we have social media for us to progress and move forward. I think that’s the beauty of the generation that we are going through right now. Moving forward, I think I could accomplish my goals and dreams regardless because I have a bright future even during the pandemic. I hope that inspires people around us.”
After she was crowned, Naelah declared, “I would like to thank everyone who supported me through my difficult journey. I really wanted to be Miss Philippines Earth.”
The other winners for Miss PH Earth 2021 include Ameera Almamari of Atimonan, Quezon, Miss Philippines Air 2021; Rocel Angelah Songano of Iloilo city, Miss Philippines Water 2021; Roni Meneses of Mandaluyong City, Miss Philippines Fire 2021; and Sofia Lopez Galve, Miss Philippines Eco-Tourism 2021.
Alshorbaji will be vying to become the fifth Pinay to win the Miss Earth crown. Previous Miss Earth titleholders from the Philippines are Karla Henry (2008), Jamie Herell (2014), Angela Ong (2015 and Karen Ibasco (2017).
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Original Pilipino Music (OPM) singer-songwriter JoAnne Lorenzana is celebrating her 35th year in the music industry. A Bay Area native for many years now, JoAnne recently released her latest composition, “My Everyday Valentine,” in collaboration with composer Jimmy Borja.
Her latest virtual show, “JoAnne@35 Love Songs and Lessons,” celebrates her three-plus decades in the music scene and will have as guests Jun Polistico, The Quarentados Choir (made up of Filipino medical frontliners and those in allied fields based in various countries) and Kylie Lorenzana Fonacier, with a special participation of OPM King Ogie Alcasid. The show will air online simultaneously on August 13 in the West Coast and US/Canada and August 14 in the Philippines and Australia; worldwide streaming is set on August 14. The online show’s beneficiary is the Natatanging Guro Foundation.
JoAnne will perform her hits like “I’ll Never Let You Go,” “You,” “Kung Alam Mo Lang,” “Back in Your Arms” and her new song “My Everyday Valentine,” which she has dedicated to her husband, Brant.
Ever the busy bee, JoAnne plans to finish an extended play (EP) album, write more songs and stage more performances.
“I want to go back to my songwriting roots and write songs for other artists. The global virtual connection is unexpectedly igniting this fresh chapter of my career. The support and accommodation of our kababayans from different parts of the world is something artists like myself can truly be grateful for,” the singer said in a recent release furnished to media.
JoAnne is thankful as well that she has been getting support from fellow artists and people in showbiz, including Senate President Tito Sotto, Lea Salonga, Gary Valenciano, Martin Nievera, Mitch Valdes, Kuh Ledesma, Boy Abunda and other artists with whom she has performed with over the years via video messages they sent to congratulate her on her 35th year in the industry.
Congratulations to JoAnne Lorenzana for achieving this milestone!
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Instagram photo/@beaalonzo
Kapuso actress Bea Alonzo has finally confirmed her relationship with actor Dominic Roque, according to an article in the Philippine Star.
“It just came out naturally. It’s not like I was trying to hide it. I think I was trying to be careful given my past experience. Of course, I wanted to make sure I knew where the relationship is going before I made it official. We only live once and happiness is best when shared. I want to share my happiness,” Bea was quoted as saying.
Stating that she is careful in revealing her romantic experiences due to her past experiences and fear of publicly making mistakes, Bea revealed that she opts to keep a few things private, especially in her relationships.
“Even in my past relationships, I am not super open about it. I think most treasured moments of a relationship are those moments that you don’t share in social media. And I want to keep it that way,” she explained.
