In an unprecedented twist, siblings of previous pageant queens topped the Miss Cagayan de Oro 2022 beauty pageant held August 27 at a local mall.
Arianne “Ara” Galenzoga representing Barangay Consolacion was crowned Ms Cagayan de Oro Universe 2022, 15 years after her eldest sister Dianne Galenzoga-Padilla was crowned 1st Runner Up in the Ms Kagay-an 2007 Beauty Pageant (as this same competition was then branded) and 14 years after her second oldest sister Joanne Galenzoga-Añana was crowned 1st Runner Up in the same pageant in 2008.
“Super proud kaayo mi! Physically absent ra jud ko last night sa pageant pero mentally and emotionally jud ko with Ara all throughout,” Dianne said in an online interview from Oslo, Norway where she now works as a Sykepleier (staff nurse) at Norlandia Nursing Home.
“Ara's victory last night felt like ours, too,” she added. Dianne studied staff nursing at Oslo Metropolitatn University, and is also a Nursing graduate of Liceo de Cagayan University
Ara’s second oldest sister Joanne, the Ms Kagay-an 2008 1st Runner Up, is a Certified Public Accountant who runs her own businesses Outdoor & Sporting Goods Company Bike Dreams and Lazy Panda, and studied accounting at Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan.
Like Joanne, the 21-year old Ara was also graduated from Xavier Ateneo with a Bachelor of Science in Management Accounting.
However, she is better known in social media as the content creator of her YouTube Channel “Ara G” which has 59,000 subscribers and through which she advocates mental health and pursuing passions and dreams, and shares her daily routine and beauty tips.
Ara is the youngest of the four daughters of Bel and Malou Galenzoga, originally from Davao City but moved to Cagayan de Oro to seek greener pastures.
Her third oldest sister Roxanne is the only one among the four who did not compete in the Ms Cagayan de Oro pageant but competed instead in the much tougher StarStruck: The Next Level (Season 4) reality talent competition of GMA Network, surviving the regional casting tours wherein hopeful contestants are screened by preliminary panels to be selected for star quality, acting talent, or humorous potential and human interest. The audition process is long, beginning with thousands of hopefuls showcasing their talents and being interviewed by the panelists.
Roxanne made it as the Cagayan de Oro Finalist for Season 4 ultimately won by Jewel Mische of Bocaue, Bulacan as the Ultimate Sweetheart, Aljur Abrenica of Angeles City, Pampanga as the Ultimate Hunk, and Mart Escudero of General Mariano Alvarez, Cavite and Kris Bernal of Quezon City as the Ultimate Loveteam.
Following stints with Cebu Pacific and Saudia Airlines as a flight stewardess, Roxanne now runs her own clothing line business.
Similarly, April Angelu Barro of Barangay Canitoan was crowned Ms Cagayan de Oro 2022 Pilipinas, seven years after her Ate Charinna Barro-Quilaneta won the Ms Cagayan de Oro 2015 diadem. Charinna is the 9th of 10 children while April is the youngest.
Originally hailing from Brgy. 26 Cahulogan in Gingoog City, she will represent Cagayan de Oro in the next Binibing Pilipinas beauty pageant which selects the country’s representative to the Miss International Beauty Pageant. An International Studies graduate of Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, she dreams of becoming a commercial pilot.
“She deserved all the best in the world and this is one of that bests. As a Miss CDO myself and a former pageant title holder, I'd say she really came prepared,” Charinna said in an online interview. “She knows what she wants and she's hungry for it. You can actually see it in her performance scores for winning most of the major awards- Best in Swimsuit, Best in Talent, and 2nd in Best in Long Gown. All glory to God for aligning the stars for her last night as it did to me 7 years ago!”Besides the Ms CdO crowns, Charinna and April also won multi-titles: April was also crowned Ms Olive- C Cagayan de Oro 2015, and The Face of MiYu 2017 (a national competition), while Charinna was also crowned Ms. Philippines Earth Eco-Tourism 2016. Both sisters won back-to-back titles as Ms Silka Northern Mindanao (2015/2016).
Now based in Davao City, Charinna is currently the Executive Vice President (EVP) of JCI Lakambini Davao and works at MPQ Agro Ventures Inc.
She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from Liceo de Cagayan University, studied Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at José Rizal University, and is now pursuing her law studies at the Ateneo de Davao University College of Law.
Besides the first two winners, 1st Runner Up Cris Antonette Crabajales Teano representing Barangay Carmen has also been selected as Cagayan de Oro City’s official representative for the next Mutya ng Pilipinas beauty pageant.
Other finalists were Blanche Nicole Villaluz of Barangay Nazareth, second runner-up; Shasha Patricio of Barangay Carmen, third runner-up; and Luisa Leodones Bingtan of Barangay Iponan, fourth runner-up.
