If Canadian beauty queen Jessica Victoria Cianchino wins Miss Earth 2022 on 29 November 29 at Okada Manila, it will be a virtual double victory since she's half-Filipino.
Her mother's family is from Los Baños, Laguna which she has visited several times. Cianchino's mother is an aunt of singer/Parañaque councilor Roselle Nava.
Cianchino's British-Italian father was born and raised in Markham City in Canada.
This is her second time to represent Canada in an international pageant. She was second runner-up in the 2019 Miss Asia Pacific held at Newport Performing Arts Theater in Newport World Resorts.
She arrived early last month and stayed in Los Baños. Recently she met with a de media members
Cianchino advocates mental health and the environment. "I'm an advocate of mental health because I lost a loved one to suicide. Before that, I didn't realize the importance of mental health as a topic of discussion especially among younger generations," she said.
"It may be uncomfortable for a lot of people to discuss, but it can happen in a light and positive way. It doesn't have to be serious. And that is the discussion I would love to bring forward."
She stressed that mental health and the environment are closely related and has dubbed her advocacy as "eco-therapy" or "nature therapy."
She explained: "Nature heals. It's not only important to preserve our environment but also our mental health."
Cianchino graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a major in Anthropology and a minor in Women Studies. She's also an entrepreneur, philanthropist and model.
She's the ambassador of mental health for the Canadian non-profit YPAM, but her passion for empowering the youth stretches beyond Canada, since she collaborates with institutions like Visions of Hope Foundation in the Philippines.
The theme of Miss Earth 2022 is "ME loves Fauna" to emphasize the importance of caring for animal life.
The last time Canadá won Miss Earth was in 2007, held at the University of the Philippines Theater in Quezon City.
Jenny Ramp from Tarlac is representing the Philipines. If Ramp wins, Cianchino will understand. "I think the main reason is, not only are Filipinos beautiful, but they are also intelligent," she said.
"Joining a pageant is different from modelling. When you're modeling, you're just a pretty face."
"Pageants are relevant, like Miss Earth is about environmental awareness."
Asked what major problem in the world should be solved immediately, she replied: "I believe it's easy to be caught up in our own busy lives, but if we have empathy, if we have love, we can relate to other people and the environment."
"We can help other people and the environment if we have empathy."
