Huge shoes to fill: 2015 Miss Pacific PNG

Caption:  (center) Miss Pacific Islands PNG Abigail Havora 

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, November 22, 2015 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

DESCRIBED as being charming, well spoken, and very confident, PNG’s next representative to the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant (MPIP), Abigail Havora, has said that she has very big shoes to fill when she represents Papua New Guinea at this year’s MPIP in the Cook Islands.

Represented in last weekend’s Miss Pacific Islands Papua New Guinea crowning night, the Pacific Balanced Fund entrant stole the show taking a majority of the special awards to eventually take out the overall title.

The Gulf and Central lass described the title as a great stage to get the message of nation building throughout the country.

After powering through the rounds taking out best sarong wear, best traditionally inspired dress, and the miss tourism award- she finished on top with her talent in women empowerment and outgoing public speaking that got her the most admiration during the question round.

“My talent was on women empowerment so it was very fitting, and I always have discussions on that with my friends so when the question came the answer just came out like a natural reaction,” Ms Havora said.

With PNG’s first Miss PNG, Miss Asia, and judge, Eva Arni, the only Papua New Guinean to win major beauty pageants in the region- Havora said it was all about channelling the country’s diversity in the right way when responding to queries on her chances in taking the regional title.

“Big big shoes to fill and we will see how it goes. PNG has a lot to offer, we are so diverse, we’re big, rich, beautiful so we really need to channel something right to win this and I know I have a great team so we’ll see how this goes,” she said.

When asked about the performance, former Miss PNG and adjudicator, Eva Ani, said comparisons to her achievements during her time representing the country would be not fair considering the nature of the MPIP format to the one she took.

“The one I took part in it was different. We were judge according our appearance, bone structure, and beauty as a whole.”

“The MPIP is more of an ambassadorial competition and with our winner we have a very well-spoken young lady and very confident and I am sure that she has the personality and the ability to promote the best of what she has got, and through that the best of Papua New Guinea.”

“She was an all-rounder, there are different criteria’s but I think she resembles the total ambassador material that we are looking for,” Ms Arni said.