During the Mutya ng Palawan 2018 coronation night, Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corporation (RTNMC) handpicked Ms. El Nido among the 19 glamorous candidates to be its brand ambassador.

Over the course of the pageant, RTNMC was present all throughout the search to determine who among the girls possesses the true representation and could transpire the advocacies of the company.

She should not just have the beauty of a “minera” but should also have a wit and substance of being the ambassador herself.

Eighteen-year old stunner Alexis Quilala emerged as RTNMC’s brand ambassador. She was raised and enjoyed her childhood in Buena Suerte, El Nido together with her four other siblings.

Alexis and her younger brother continue studying despite life’s mishap and misfortune. She is an incoming freshman taking up a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration majoring in Financial Management in Palawan State University.

Her mother, Helen Quilala solely supports them in providing their needs as she works in an El Nido-based restaurant as a food attendant after her husband was diagnosed with brain tumor and had died five years ago.

As she continues her education, Alexis fortunately has financial support in his late father’s pension and she also supports herself as she does her own craft in joining local pageants and take summer jobs as much as she gets.

Just like any other girls who wish to fly on board an aircraft, Alexis’ biggest dream is to be a flight attendant and to provide service in aviation industry.

But life had taken its toll on her and due to being financially challenged, she chose to take up business course instead as she deemed seeing it more practical than take a high-cost education.

She later realized that her undergraduate course will never be a hindrance to reach her dream as everyone can be a flight attendant.

Alexis told RTNMC team about how she felt towards receiving the award, “Blessed and grateful po ako sa appreciation and its a big opportunity to implement my advocacy in creating a strong voice for the youth in support of continuing conservation balance of utilization and proper management of our natural resources both marine and terrestrial”.

“This is more than just an award, its both an honor and a responsibility, I will use this title to represent the many and be a role model in protecting and conserving the environment. I have likewise seen and personally witness how truly existing responsible mining is; that it could be more pro-people and pro-environment. I saw it myself in RTNMC,” Quilala said.

Though Alexis was not crowned as Mutya ng Palawan 2018, she has further expressed how exceptional her award was, that it was more than just being the beauty queen and having the prominent title but the weight of the title is what matters.

Alexis’ life’s motto is what drives her toward her chosen path, as her core values and principles make her achieve her dreams and she knows that whatever life decision she has, she always believe that “for God, nothing shall be impossible”.

Before the coronation night, candidates visited Rio Tuba particularly RTNMC’s mine site and Gintalunan Peak 4 - a rehabilitated mined-out area and Coral Bay Nickel Corporation’s rehabilitated tailings storage facility.

An Information, Education and Communication campaign was carried-out as part of the companies’ standard operating procedure to equip the visitors on safety protocols and showcase its milestone.

The Mutya ng Palawan 2018 coronation night was the culmination of the Baragatan sa Palawan Festival 2018 wherein 19 municipalities sent their candidates to showcase and represent their traditions, culture and talents.

Several municipalities both island and mainland Palawan brought their best of the best winning pawns to bag the most prominent title.