A 22-year-old business accounting graduate of Xavier University who used to sell ice candy to help her parents was crowned as Miss Cagayan de Oro 2022 last night.
Arianne Galenzoga bested 12 other contestants when she warmly answered a question by movie actor Gerald Anderson about how to be a modern woman.
The question was canned and aired in the question and answer portion of the three-hour beauty pageant that has gone public for the first time after two years due to strict Covid-19 measures.
“To be a modern woman should be someone who inspires younger women and other women across the universe. She should embody someone who is strong, resilient, and one who believes in endless possibilities,” Galenzoga said.
Galenzoga said at one point in her life she suffered depression and thought the world had ended for her.
“It was dark and was empty. I thought I could no longer see the light,” she said.
But out of her depression, Galenzoga said she saw “something beautiful.”
Former Cagayan de Oro information officer Maricel Rivera Casino said Galenzoga used to sell ice candy at City Hall.
“She is very friendly and grounded. Walay air,” Casino said.
Galenzoga will represent Cagayan de Oro in this year’s Miss Universe Pageant in Manila.
