Angelia Ong
Quick Facts
CancerBiography
Angelia Gabrena Ong (born June 27, 1990), known professionally as Angelia Ong, is a Chinese Filipino model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Philippines Earth 2015 and was later crowned as Miss Earth 2015.
Early life and education
Ong was born on June 27, 1990 in Lapuz Norte, Lapuz, Iloilo City. She's an alumna of St. Paul University and Hua Siong College in Iloilo City. She moved to Manila in 2012 and pursued her college education taking up Marketing Management at the De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde.
President and Congress commendations
On December 14, 2015, the Office of the President of the Philippines commended Ong through Philippine Secretary of Presidential Communications and Operations Herminio Coloma for winning Miss Earth 2015 title and giving the Philippines its first back-to-back win.
The Senate of the Philippines adopted the Philippine Senate Resolution number 1681 on December 14, 2015 introduced by Senator Manuel Lapid to commend Ong for honoring the Philippines in her victory in the Miss Earth 2015 pageant. The Resolution indicated that "Ong made history as she succeeded another Filipina beauty queen, a first in the pageant's 15-year history and the third Filipina to bag the prestigious crown with Jamie Herrell as her predecessor and Karla Henry winning the crown in 2008, making the Philippines the only country with a three-crown record."
The lower house of the Philippines Congress, House of Representatives of the Philippines also gave tribute to the victory of Ong in the Miss Earth 2015 pageant through the House Resolution 2561 authored by Congressman Leopoldo N. Bataoil. The House Resolution stated that "Ong's achievement brought pride to the Filipino people and will serve as an inspiration to young Filipino women, as well and remind the country of its responsibilities to the environment."
Pageantry
Prior to Miss Earth
Ong competed and finished Second Runner-Up at the Miss Manila 2014 pageant and bagged Best in Long Gown and Press Choice Award.
She competed at Binibining Pilipinas 2011 pageant representing Iloilo City and received people's choice special award as the "Face of Binibining Pilipinas 2011."
Miss Philippines Earth 2015
Ong participated and won in the Miss Philippines Earth 2015 on May 31, 2015 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City and earned the right to represent the Philippines at Miss Earth 2015 pageant.
She aced the Question and Answer portion of the pageant when singer-actress Zsa Zsa Padilla asked about Ong's view on same sex marriage; she responded:
She bested 37 other hopefuls from across the Philippines and was crowned by Miss Philippines Earth 2014 Jamie Herrell. As Miss Philippines Earth, her advocacy is focused on restoration, reforestation, and minimizing carbon footprint through ecotourism.
Miss Earth 2015
Ong represented the Philippines and won in the Miss Earth 2015 pageant held at Marx Halle, Vienna, Austria. The coronation night occurred on December 5, 2015. During the pre-pageant activities, Angelia won a silver medal for the Miss Friendship award and a bronze medal for the evening gown competition.
During the Top 8 round of question and answer, Angelia was asked of what would be Miss Earth's slogan for the next fifteen years; and she replied:
During the announcement of winners, Angelia was hailed as the winner and was crowned by her predecessor Jamie Herrell, also from the Philippines. Angelia made history for winning a back-to-back for her country in Miss Earth.
During her reign she has traveled Reunion Island, Vietnam, the United States, Colombia, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, China, Singapore and numerous trips in the Philippines.
Media and environmental activism
During her early teen years, she was a co-host of the now defunct GMA Network-Iloilo local Sunday variety show, Bongga from 2004 – 2006.
On December 19, 2015, Ong joined environmental group Ecowaste Coalition and launched the “Iwas-Paputoxic” campaign and urged the people, especially the youth, to welcome the New Year 2016 using safe and non-toxic materials without the dangerous and polluting firecrackers which blast toxic fumes.
She hosted the opening ceremony of the Asia-Pacific Forestry Week 2016 aimed to promote sustainable forest management on February 23, 2016 which was organized by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, Asia Pacific Forestry Commission, and the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Ong led ten other beauty queens and graced the launching of the project of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, dubbed as “Race to One Million Seedlings”, which was held in Camp Aguinaldo, a project that aims to grow one million tree seedlings that will be planted all over Metro Manila, including the La Mesa Dam and Reservoir watershed and Marikina riverbank as part of the National Greening Program which seeks to increase trees and forest cover in Metro Manila and adjacent region.
Together with Philippine Senator Cynthia Villar, Ong led the Earth Day celebration in the Philippines on April 22, 2016 at the Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA), one of the world’s most important wetlands situated south of Manila Bay. As an ambassador for environmental protection campaigns in the Philippines, she joined a mass coastal clean-up effort on the coast of Freedom Island. She also joined other women as they participate in a hand-painting exercise to raise awareness and develop a sense of public responsibility pertaining to environmentally-sustainable practices to mark the Earth Day.
Ong completed the Climate Reality Leadership Corps training under US Vice President Al Gore, founder and chairman of the Climate Change Reality Project for her pursuance of effective platform to create environmental awareness on climate change.
Ong travelled to Reunion Islands and crowned Elsa Techer as Miss Earth Reunion Islands 2016 at the culmination of the gala night on May 7, 2016 in Reunion Islands. During the Philippines Independence Day on June 12, 2016, she talked about her advocacy to fight climate change through the 5R’s; Re-think, Reduce, Re-use, Recycle and Respect. On July 28, 2016, Ong went to the United States to attend the coronation of Miss Earth United States 2016 pageant.
She went to Armenia, Colombia on August 11, 2016 together with Btittany Ann Payne Miss Earth Water 2016 to crown the winner of Miss Earth Colombia 2016. She also joined the Miss Earth Colombia 2016 candidates for the Todos Ponemos program to promote sustainable development, preservation of natural resources and the importance of the 3 R's: reduce, reuse, recycle.
Ong arrived in Sri Lanka on August 26, 2016 with the invitation by TV Derana and crowned the winner Derana Miss Sri Lanka for Miss Earth 2016 on August 31, 2016 at Citrus, Waskaduwa. In Sri Lanka, she engaged in numerous environmental project including the launching of “Manusath Derana Nature Force’ project, an initiative to plant one million trees in the country where 300 sandalwood plants were initially planted. She was accompanied by Brittany Ann Payne, Miss Earth Water 2016.