After a two-year hiatus because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Senator Cynthia A. Villar kicked off the now 16th Ms. Waterlily Pre-pageant and presented the candidates for the search who came from the 20 barangays in Las Piñas City. "The Waterlily Festival in 2020 and 2021 were temporarily halted due to COVID pandemic, but we were given the chance to resume and revitalize it in 2022 last year. So for 2023, we are here again for a happy celebration of our 16th Ms. Waterlily Pageant," Villar said. The lady lawmaker said she is elated that just like the previous years, all the city's 20 barangays participated in the Ms. Waterlily 2023 Pageant. In the pre-pageant, the Ms. Waterlily candidates who were donning costumes made from water lily, were introduced for the first time. Villar noted that the Waterlily Festival is a great way to show Las Piñeros' capacity for friendship and camaraderie with the other barangays in Las Piñas. "Looking back, it was in 2005 when we started our Waterlily Festival, our  goal was to raise awareness on an environmental challenge we were experiencing – the clogging of two rivers- the Las Piñas, ang Zapote River at Las Piñas River due to overgrowth of waterlilies and other trash thrown in the river and esteros," she pointed out. Together with the Villar SIPAG, the senator said they exerted efforts to remove the waterlilies that clogged the two rivers. They then used waterlilies dried stalks for making baskets, slippers, mats and other handicrafts-weaved products. ”This was the beginning of our livelihood project- the water hyacinth handicraft weaving enterprise wherein Las Piñas residents learned making handicraft, now a source of livelihood and income," she said. At present, she said there are no more waterlilies, which impede the flow of water,  in these two rivers. While the Las Piñas waterlily livelihood projects still continues, they get waterlilies from Muntinlupa, Taguig and other parts of Metro Manila. She said it all started with waterlily. "But through the years and with the help of Villar SIPAG, they established different barangay-based livelihood enterprises, model of proper waste management," she stated.