Rhonda Felizmeña, a 70-year-old grandmother who competed in the Mutya ng Taguig 2024, said she felt fulfilled and happy despite not winning in the beauty pageant.
A total of 37 candidates, including Felizmeña, competed during the Mutya ng Taguig 2024 coronation night on May 25.
70-year-old Rhonda Felizmeña, representing Baranagy Pitogo, won Miss Congeniality in the Mutya ng Taguig 2024 pageant held on May 25 (Photos: Barangay Pitogo Kagawad Jay Montallana, Touch By Kira Salazar) 
Barangay Pitogo bet Rhonda Felizmeña (right) with her glam team at the Mutya ng Taguig 2024 pageant (Photo courtesy of Barangay Pitogo Kagawad Jay Montallana)
Alessandra Leanne Plantado from Barangay Central Signal was crowned Mutya ng Taguig 2024.
The other winners are: first runner-up - Danielle Mariz Lamptey (Central Bicutan), second runner-up - Charish Apple Arellon (Santa Ana), third runner-up - Yllana Marie Macapagal (Bagumbayan), and fourth runner-up - Aubrey Ysabelle Delos Reyes (South Signal).
Felizmeña, representing Barangay Pitogo, drew attention on social media as she was the oldest candidate in Mutya ng Taguig.
The Taguig City government eased rules this year, removing the maximum age limit and allowing women to compete regardless of their marital and parental status.
The changes in the rules made Felizmeña eligible to compete in the pageant.
During the pageant night, Felizmeña won Miss Congeniality, a special award. Despite not entering the top 15 candidates and not winning any of the major titles, she said she is happy and she proved that despite her age, she could compete with young candidates.
“Sobra, sobra. Umaapaw nga e. Feeling ko tanggap ako ng mga audience kahit yung mga taga ibang barangay, mga kabataan. Para overwhelming talaga ang pakiramdam ko (It’s overflowing. I felt that I was welcomed by the audience including those from other barangays and the young),” she told Manila Bulletin on May 26 after the pageant.
She added, “Eto na iyong masasabi ko na fulfilled na yung narating ko. Wow, sabi ko, ganito pala ang feelling. Dahil sa akin, nakita ko na parang nanalo ako. Yung mga ano ng mga tao (I can say that I feel fulfilled about what I have achieved. Wow, I said, this was the feeling. Because of me, I saw that it seemed that I won. The reaction of the audience).”
Felizmeña said she proved that senior citizens can still compete in beauty pageants.
“Talagang parang na kagaya ko na senior, hindi pa huli ang lahat para makilahok ka sa mga ganito. At ang natutunan ko, lalong nadagdagan ang self-confidence ko. Parang humaba ang buhay ko dahil sa nakikita ko sa mga batang ito na masyadong energetic. Yung mga kilos nila, parang bumata ako. (For a senior like me, it’s not too late to join in contests like this. What I learned is that my self-confidence was boosted. It’s like my life was prolonged because of what I see in the young who are so energetic. Because of their actions, I felt younger),” she said.
The winners in the Mutya ng Taguig 2024 pageant (Photo from Mutya ng Taguig)
She said her fellow candidates took care of her during the rehearsals and pageant night.
“Kaya sabi kong ganyan, ‘Lord, eto na, wala nang iba pa akong hihilingin.’ Kasi nasubukan ko nang lahat e. Ang sarap ang experience ko diyan.(That’s why I said, “Lord, this is it, I have nothing more to ask.’ Because I experienced it all. My experience in this was great),” she added.
She also said she learned how to adjust to young people.
“Parang ang bilis ng buhay nila. Pinapayuhan ko lang sila na icontinue lalo na dun sa mga hindi naka-ano kagabi. Nag-iiyakan sila. Hindi dito titigil yan. Napakabata ninyo. Ako nga may edad na (It seems that their lives are spontaneous. I advised them to continue especially those who didn’t make it last night. They were crying. This is not the end. You are still young. I am old),” she told them.
Felizmeña said the Mutya ng Taguig is her last time to compete in a beauty pageant.
“Siguro wala na. Ito na yung huli ko na…In-experience ko lang naman talaga. Pinagkumpara ko lang naman on how you feel na yung mga tanders ang kasama mo and the young ones. Na-experience ko na, naramdaman ko na lahat ano yung comparison (I think no more. This is my last. I just tried to experience it. I just compared it on how you feel if you were with old [contestants] and the young ones. I experienced it already, I felt all the comparison),” she said.
Before competing in Mutya ng Taguig, she was declared the winner in the Bonggang Lola pageant in 2017.
“Sa tanders wala naman kaming training non, basta rampa lang. E dito para kang pumasok sa butas ng karayom sa training lang. Nasabayan ko naman sila pero di naman ganong ka-perfect. Experience na yun na tumatak sa akin (For the old candidates, we didn’t have training, we just walked down the catwalk. But [in Mutya ng Taguig], it was like you went through an eye of a needle starting from the training. I was able to do what other candidates did although it was not perfect. This is an experience that stuck in me),” she said.
Felizmeña is proud and happy that she was able to compete in Mutya ng Taguig.
“Kaya ko pala sa edad kong ito. Kaya ko palang sumabay sa kanila sa ganyang mga training. Praise na Lord na biniyayaan pa rin niya ako ng ganitong lakas. Sabi nga natin, health is wealth. Yun ang kayamanan ko (I showed that I could do it at my age. I could join them in such training. I praise the Lord that He gave me this kind of strength. As we say, health is wealth. That is my wealth),” she said.
Barangay Pitogo candidate Rhonda Felizmeña with other candidates (Photos: Mutya ng Taguig, Barangay Pitogo Kagawad Jay Montallana)