The first grand virtual coronation for Miss Earth Philippines 2020 was conducted on 5th July 2020 where Roxanne Allison Baeyens from the city of Baguio was crowned Miss Earth Philippines 2020. The coronation ceremony was telecasted on GMA Network. She will be representing the Philippines at the Miss Earth 2020 stage.
Roxanne Allison Baeyens is 23-years-old and stands 170cm tall with a degree in Tourism form St. Louis University. She works as a model and an endorser and her eco-video for the competition clearly showed how much the queen relates to her roots, Baguio and how she has been participating in reviving the natural beauty of her home city. Her urban gardening advocacy is truly timely because the social limitations make people miss the touch of nature.
When she was asked about her advocacy and why did she choose urban gardening as her advocacy, Roxie stated that she was exposed to the environmental responsibility since her childhood as she is the daughter of an environmentalist. She further explained that she was certain that urban agriculture as an eco-activity is very relevant and timely amid the ongoing pandemic. “I inferred that if we grow our own organic food then we can have a sense of security during this crisis, and at the same time get the nutrition we need to boost our immune systems and stay healthy against the virus. I wanted to share with people the potential benefits of growing their own food in improving their physical and mental health and the condition of the environment,” she added.
Roxie shared that Miss Philippines Earth 2020 has helped her understand that one can adapt and embrace the changes if they want to referring to the fact that the organization hosted the coronation ceremony virtually. The diva says that she thought of different ways and ideas to shine better and project herself in front of the camera as she knew that she will be judged online by the panel. She stated that online beauty competition was something challenging but a good experience.
Roxie is not new to the pageantry as she has participated at Miss Tourism and Culture Universe 2019 where she was placed as the first runner-up. She had also participated at Miss Mandaluyong 2019 where she was placed as the fourth runner-up. She is strong, confident, and very determined towards her goals and this is one of the reasons why she is the next representative of the Philippines at Miss Earth 2020. The diva also won the awards for Beach Wear competition and Hana Beauty during the pre-pageant activities. But the new normal for a major beauty competition like Miss Philippines Earth did not dampen Roxie’s determination to win the crown and she performed with utmost focus and confidence.
Some of the pageant fanatics and judges stated that she was confident throughout her journey and emerged as one of the strong potential winners for the title and she was only able to win it because of her sheer determination and focus. Even though, she has expressed that lockdown limited her resources and that was one of the challenges she had to face during the competition but she stayed calm and composed all throughout. But these challenges taught her to be humble and grateful for what she has so she made the most out of what was available by being creative.
One of the things that she is grateful is that she never ran out of creative ideas and ways to make her performance better every time. She explained that as the saying goes, “if there’s a will there’s a way”. It was more about how you decide to look at the situation, either as a glass half full or half empty. Tapping the power of optimism has helped me greatly in overcoming challenges during the competition, the pandemic and other aspects of my life,” she says.
The Internet connection was also a challenge during the competition that Roxie had to face along with the struggle of projecting well on camera in the space and props she had. But, no many how many challenges she had to face she performed exceptionally well and was applauded by not only the judges but the pageant fanatics all over the world. And she will always be remembered as the Miss Philippines Earth 2020 queen during the pandemic.
Roxie’s nature is very humble and optimistic and her gift of being approachable allowed her to experience this glorious victory. “Bringing that positive energy and always choosing to be kind through words and actions are what I believe carried me through to the very end of the competition. I have this philosophy that you don’t always have to be the best, having a good heart and passion alone could make you go a long way. But on top of that, it felt like it was destiny, a part of God’s plan for me,” she quips.
The queen is beautiful and has a flawless skin for which when asked how does she keep it flawless, Roxie explains that she sticks to principle of ‘the less you put, the better’. She gives her skin ample time to breathe and keeps it healthy by using beauty products at a minimum. She goes for cruelty-free and plant-based skincare products and does not let any day pass without eating fruits and vegetables. She works out 2-3 times a week to keep her body healthy and fit.
As for her fashion style, she describes it as classic. “I don’t immediately go for what’s trending. Sometimes I just grab a dress of my mom from the 80’s and mix it up a little. I enjoy wearing vintage clothing or outfits I have had for a very long time maybe because I am very sentimental. As a Baguio Girl, I also love ukay-ukay!,” she explains. As an animal lover, her greatest stress reliever is her Stray-t From The Heart initiative where she feeds stray and pet dogs and cats in need here in the Metro.
Roxie had a message for the people who are still confronting the pandemic, with all compassion, she says: “Know that you don’t have to go through this alone. There are a lot of kababayans willing to lend a helping hand. Bayanihan is in our DNA. For those suffering from anxiety or depression, know that it’s okay not to be okay. Just take it one day at a time and don’t be too hard on yourself. Hold on, be kind and take care of yourself and others.”