Divine Diva Zsa Zsa Padilla, her daughter Karylle Padilla Tatlonghari Yuson, and beauty queens will grace the Santa Cruz De Mayo 2024, to be held at Fort Santiago, Intramuros, on May 19 at 5:30 p.m.

Kate Bellosillo, president of The Philippine Heritage Society (TPHS) and organizer of the Santa Cruz De Mayo 2024, announced that Zsa Zsa and her daughter Karylle have graciously accepted their invitation to join the procession. 

Karylle, one of the hosts of the popular noontime program "It's Showtime," will be Reyna Elena, while Zsa Zsa, an OPM icon, will be Reina Emperatriz.

"As a mother, I am thrilled for young people, especially my children, to witness this recreation of the Santa Cruz De Mayo. It's a unique opportunity to delve into our rich cultural heritage. I'm eager to see their appreciation and excited for the local and foreign tourists to experience the depth of our traditions," shared Kate during a press conference at the Admiral Hotel on Roxas Boulevard in Manila on April 29.

Kate added, "Karylle has a dedicated videographer who will follow her during the procession, so she will post in real-time, which is also important."

The event is being staged in coordination with the Intramuros Administration, Filipino Heritage Festival and Admiral Hotel.

On how young Filipinos can appreciate old traditions like Santa Cruz De Mayo, Kate said: "It starts in the family. Most of us are parents, and it begins at home. Kung ako, doon ako maguumpisa because the kids are active on social media. If they will attend (the event) and post pictures online, I think it will pick the interest of the young people. Maliit na bagay lang, but I think it will create a ripple effect if they post, and it will go viral."

Tess Castro said that beauty queens would participate in the procession starting from Fort Santiago and ending at San Agustin Church.

The sagalas will be wearing creations by fashion designer Lito Perez. "The concept (of outfits) is, more or less, Byzantine. That was when Queen Helena's son Constantine asked her to go to the Holy Land to look for the Holy Cross."

Armita Rufino encouraged the faithful to appreciate the holy procession.

"Each object the sagala carries has a meaning, and the explanation of why it is carried represents the New and Old Testaments. And the reason we should end up in a church is what Santa Cruz De Mayo is all about," Rufino said.

Organizers explained the difference between Flores De Mayo and Santa Cruz De Mayo.

Flores de Mayo is a Christian devotion celebrated every summer in May and is widely popular in the provinces.

The idea of a month dedicated specifically to Mary can be traced back to the Baroque times. 

Santacruzan is a colorful religious, historical procession held nationwide in various cities, towns, and small villages in May. It recalls Queen Helena's search for the Holy Cross.

Organizers reminded the public that Santacruzan is neither a beauty pageant nor a fashion show. "Remember that it has religious roots."

TPHS was formed in 2021 after Sherwin Sozon, Nathan De Leon, and Tess Castro shared a vision to initiate a fundraising campaign to support opera artists. De Leon proposed creating a group dedicated to raising funds to benefit the arts, heritage, and culture, thus the birth of TPHS.

The group conceived a ball and a fashion show featuring the country's finest designers. It also received two trophies for the Aliw Awards for Excellence in Live Events.

Members of the group's Council of Regents are Kate Bellosillo, president; Jennifer Tipton Angeles, vice president; Mache Ackerman, Usec. Kim Lokin, Robert Castaneda, Ruby Chua, Danda Buhain, Carmen Afzelus, Sophia Yara, Bai Norhata Alonto, Marivic  Aquino, Rose Tolentino Santiago, Flora Urquico Brenda Ngo, Chanel Sun, Coco Sun, Gerry Sunga; and Dr. Jaime Laya and Mita Rufino, consultants.