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MISS EARTH PHILIPPINES
YLLANA MARIE ADUANA
DESCRIBE YOUR CHILDHOOD/GROWING YEARS
I had a very amazing and enriching childhood spending time travelling back and forth our family home in the city and our home in the countryside of the Philippines. I studied in the city and was a consistent academic achiever but spent most of my weekends and summers in my province doing immersions and being exposed to the beauty of the nature so I grew up adapting and very much aware of both the Rural and Urban environment and the cultures. Our family is also genuinely invested in coconut trees that’s why in our front yard, we had 2 very tall coconut trees and 4 palm trees and I even had 1 Coconut Tree that I named “Coco”. Even as a child, I really had a deep connection with the people and the planet because of my family and my upbringing and that is also why I decided to practice the Zero Waste and a Sustainable Lifestyle when I grew older as my simple way to contribute in preventing the ecological collapse from happening.
WHAT IS YOUR MEMORABLE MOMENT?
Winning the title this year and becoming the 23rd Earth Queen of the Philippines really opened many doors of opportunities for me not only career-wise but also paving a way for me to elevate the platform of the Miss Philippines Earth and Miss Earth. Last July 16, 2023, I flew all the way to the United Nations Headquarters in New York City to attend the Fourth Global Conference on Strengthening Synergies on the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda. I was given a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to speak about my advocacy and my cause before the United Nations with several world leaders in the conference room and that has got to be the most memorable and most productive experience that I’ve ever had as the reigning Miss Earth- Philippines 2023.
The reason why I keep on doing the things that I am doing is because I am in love and committed with my cause and the organization. And I’ve always known myself to be a person who always does everything for the things that she loves.
The reason why I keep on doing the things that I am doing is because I am in love and committed with my cause and the organization. And I’ve always known myself to be a person who always does everything for the things that she loves.
ANY SPECIAL STORIES OR FACTS ABOUT YOUR FAMILY?
Both my parents are 100% Filipino and were born and raised in the province of Laguna, Philippines. My mother's Advento clan is known to be a family of musicians and are popular in our hometown. My father's Perez-Aduana clan on the other hand is known in our municipality for the love of plants, coconut trees, dogs, and chickens! When we were still kids, my dad used to climb up our own coconut trees and harvest coconuts to serve for merienda when quests and relatives from Manila come to visit. Both my parents, most especially my dad, are also avid fans of chickens and farming.
WHAT IS THE MOST UNUSUAL THING YOU HAVE EVER DONE?
Ever since I was crowned the Miss Earth- Philippines 2023, I have been traveling to all 17 Regions of the Philippines to conduct 17 community outreaches in line with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This has got to be the most unusual thing anyone could ever do because it takes so much commitment, perseverance, and hardwork for a person to be able to achieve what I did; making me the first ever Filipina beauty queen to do such in her reign. But for me, although it’s unusual, I would say that it’s also the most productive and fulfilling thing that I have ever done knowing that I am a person who’s really cause-oriented and true to her advocacy of promoting environmental amelioration.
WHAT TIPS CAN YOU SHARE TO PROMOTE ECOTOURISM & CLIMATE CHANGE?
Last year, I was able to travel to all 24 majestic municipalities and 6 captivating cities of my province and this year, I am proud to say that I have travelled to all 17 Regions of the Philippines.
We were able to film every single place and we were all amazed to discover that the Philippines is truly rich in natural resources and so much unexplored potentials. As an eco-warrior by heart, I made sure that our travel would center around Sustainable Eco-tourism so we pledged our best to leave the most minimal carbon footprint while doing it.
To promote sustainable ecotourism, our strategy is called TOUR:
T stands for Take the moment, make an impact, and leave all else behind.
O stands for Oplan Ecobag warriors
U is for Utilize the time to reserve energy and strategize to properly allocate resources
R is for Respect and appreciate the tourist attraction by practicing sustainability at all cost
To promote sustainable ecotourism, our strategy is called TOUR:
T stands for Take the moment, make an impact, and leave all else behind.
O stands for Oplan Ecobag warriors
U is for Utilize the time to reserve energy and strategize to properly allocate resources
R is for Respect and appreciate the tourist attraction by practicing sustainability at all cost
WHAT MAKES YOU PROUD OF YOUR COUNTRY?
As someone who has traveled to all 17 Regions of my beautiful country, I have seen it firsthand that the Philippines is truly a treasure trove and a gold mine of so much unexplored and untapped potentials. Ranging from the culture, tradition, biodiversity, environmental initiatives, and most importantly, our people and our natural resources.
My country, the Philippines has encountered so many tribulations and suffered from several cataclysmic events, but as a country, we have remained steadfast and rose above those setbacks and we continue to push ourselves to become more contributory globally. This makes our country truly best represented by the coconut trees; having the same characteristic of long-suffering and having the ability to bend without breaking as well as fruitfulness because despite the setbacks, we remain contributory to the nation’s economic advancement and environmental amelioration. As a 100% Filipino by heart and by blood, these are all the things that make me ultimately proud of my country.
My country, the Philippines has encountered so many tribulations and suffered from several cataclysmic events, but as a country, we have remained steadfast and rose above those setbacks and we continue to push ourselves to become more contributory globally. This makes our country truly best represented by the coconut trees; having the same characteristic of long-suffering and having the ability to bend without breaking as well as fruitfulness because despite the setbacks, we remain contributory to the nation’s economic advancement and environmental amelioration. As a 100% Filipino by heart and by blood, these are all the things that make me ultimately proud of my country.
WHAT IS YOUR ADVOCACY?
My advocacy is called E.A.R.T.H. Education
Which stands for Environmental Awareness and Action to Restore and Transcend Home through Education. Through my nonprofit organization called Edukasyon for Every Juan, we aim to achieve environmental amelioration through the 17 UN SDG Promotion.
My concrete project as the Miss Earth Philippines- 2023 is called the 17 Sustainable Development Goals for 1 Goal: Environmental Amelioration for a Greener Nation. Through this project, I’ve been to all 17 regions of my country to conduct 17 community outreaches in line with the 17 UN SDG.
I chose this advocacy to debunk the notion that Earth Queens only advocate for only the trees, the plants, and green sceneries. For me, it’s more than that because The EARTH is a concoction of biodiversity.The Earth consists of the people, the animals, the communities, the indigenous tribes and every Single unit of life that you can see on this planet and this is all covered by the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
My goal as the Miss Earth- Philippines is to be able to raise awareness on the 17 SDGs and how they are interconnected to the nature. It is important for us to know what the 17 SDGs are and to realize that every single SDG has a direct impact to the nature and vice versa. And that EVERYTHING IN NATURE IS INTERCONNECTED.
My concrete project as the Miss Earth Philippines- 2023 is called the 17 Sustainable Development Goals for 1 Goal: Environmental Amelioration for a Greener Nation. Through this project, I’ve been to all 17 regions of my country to conduct 17 community outreaches in line with the 17 UN SDG.
I chose this advocacy to debunk the notion that Earth Queens only advocate for only the trees, the plants, and green sceneries. For me, it’s more than that because The EARTH is a concoction of biodiversity.The Earth consists of the people, the animals, the communities, the indigenous tribes and every Single unit of life that you can see on this planet and this is all covered by the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
My goal as the Miss Earth- Philippines is to be able to raise awareness on the 17 SDGs and how they are interconnected to the nature. It is important for us to know what the 17 SDGs are and to realize that every single SDG has a direct impact to the nature and vice versa. And that EVERYTHING IN NATURE IS INTERCONNECTED.