In her element is Siniloan, Laguna pride Yllana Aduana as she represents the Philippines at the 23rd Miss Earth Pageant in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

25-year old Yllana has already made early waves at the three-week competition: getting a Top 5 ‘Best Appearance’ nod, being chosen to co-speak on behalf of Team Asia and Oceania during the pageant’s ‘Eco Project’ segment, and ranking 5th in the still ongoing “Miss People’s Choice” contest.

Yllana’s presentation of Team Asia and Oceania’s ‘TreEco Library and The Three Concepts’ project showed exactly why she’s a total package, taking on the challenge of being one of her team’s presenters and intelligently showcasing her public speaking proficiency in the process. 

“These climates issues - they’re inevitable. But the power that we have to create solutions through this platform, they are infinite,” said the multi-talented beauty queen who’s also a licensed medical technologist. 

Team Asia and Oceania’s proposal, through Yllana’s brief but substantive explanation, boasts a three-part concept: the collection of plastic bottles, the incorporation of seedlings, and the creation of a library that will feature the outputs from a consolidated effort to repurpose plastic bottles and plant trees.

“We are hoping that you also realize that with the amount of time we have been given, we are able to come up with something that is tangible and feasible for people to see. The idea is, how much more impact can we contribute to the community if we have more time, more resources, and more people working with us?” articulated Yllana in a bold call-to-action statement.

A self-professed eco-warrior, the Laguna-born pageant queen has been busy spreading  her advocacy for environmental awareness and biodiversity protection. She has reportedly visited all of the country’s 17 regions and has conducted 17 community outreaches in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG).

Bannered by this year’s theme “Unique Bonds - One Planet,” Miss Earth 2023 and its overarching mission for environmental protection and nature preservation aptly coincides with Ho Chi Minh City’s Tourism Week (December 4-10), prompting a series of activities where the pageant queens are given the platform to engage with eco-friendly advocacy campaigns. 

The 23rd Miss Earth competition commenced last December 1, 2023 and will conclude with its grand coronation night on December 22 at Van Phúc City in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.