Lidee Pangelinan, a senior student of Saipan Southern High School, said she did not expect to win the first prize.
“It is my first time to join a recycled gown fashion show, and I did not expect to win but I am very happy,” Pangelinan told the Variety. She said she and her mom Angela worked on her gown and finished it in three weeks.
A pair of dangling earrings fashioned from milk boxes and a headpiece from plastic completed Pangelinan’s attire. She bested 30 other contestants by garnering 98 points and brought home $500 cash and a dinner certificate for two.
Daniel Agulto of Marianas High School impressed the judges with his rice sacks and Tide sack shorts, accentuated with a combination of soft drinks and aluminum materials. He also sported a warrior weapon made from scrap wood. His outfit garnered 95 points and he won $300 cash and a dinner certificate.
Lester Lapus, also from MHS, landed in third place with his aluminum attire made from cigarette covers accentuated with flower basket wrappings.
Lapuz won $200 cash and a dinner certificate.
Event coordinator Olivia Tebuteb of DEQ said 49 high school students registered for the fashion show but only 30 showed up.
“The turnout is really good, considering we only had five contestants during the first Trash-In Fashion Show last year,” Tebuteb said.
They hope to have a more colorful presentation next year.
“We are doing this to make the community aware that there are treasures in trash,” she said.
Sharmaine Casquero, who choreographed the show, said all the decorations on stage were also made from recycled materials.
The show was just one of the activities hosted by DEQ in celebration of the 2011 Environment Awareness Month. This year’s theme was “Invest in the Real Green: Our Environment.”
The show was made possible by the joint efforts of DEQ and American Memorial Park. Sponsors for the event included the Marianas Variety, Dickerson Quinn, Tropical Gardens, the Saipan Mayor’s Office, Joeten Motors, the Tan Siu Lin Foundation, and the Mariana Islands Nature Alliance.
