In a night filled with elegance and heartfelt family stories, the pioneering Ginang Filipinas New Jersey pageant crowned its first-ever grand winner, Carmela ‘Ella’ Icamina.
The competition, like many traditional beauty contests, highlighted the strength, creativity, and journeys of women—many of them mothers—who continue to thrive while balancing the demands of immigrant life in the U.S.
Icamina, a member of the Philippine Nurses Association New York, said she was “deeply honored” to win the title. “We made history!” she said on Facebook.
“We are proud of Ella Icamina,” says Laarni C. Florencio MSN RN CNL, president of Philippine Nurses of America New York, Inc. “As one of our newest members at PNA NY, she already reflects the heart and cause of our organization. A talented and engaged nurse, she brings a wealth of skills, talent, and a strong sense of commitment to service.”
Jan Andrada Lane, one of the long-time supporters, shared her perspective on why she considers the Ginang Filipinas movement “transformative.”
She said, “I only wanted to support a pioneering pageant because the name Ginang is such a unique concept. My impression was it’s not your common kind of beauty pageant where you have to starve to death to look slender or meet height requirements. Ginang is about empowerment—mothers of all ages with unique journeys as family torch bearers and Filipino immigrants.”
The pageant stood out for its vision, she said. It was designed to uplift women—mothers, single parents, even grandmothers—celebrating them not for meeting narrow beauty standards but for their personal journeys and empowered experience.
Jan recalled being drawn to the advocacy after meeting director Buboi Asuncion two years ago. He had earlier conceptualized Ginang Alaska, a pageant that showcased moms’ creativity in a region not often associated with pageantry. She highlighted how Ginang provides women a break from monotony and gives them a platform to rediscover themselves.
“Married women go through different phases in their lives. Some don’t have a lot of friends, some want to come out of their shell. Ginang offers them a space to shine and show the world that beauty and worth aren’t about a perfect body, but about what makes you unique,” she said.
For Jan, joining Ginang was also a personal journey. A lover of fashion and cultural expression, she proudly wore a Carl Andrada creation and incorporated her dream of performing in traditional Igorot attire into her talent piece. For that experience this Baguio-raised community leader won Ginang Filipinas Tourism in 2024, the year Ginang was launched in Seattle-Tacoma Washington State.
Said Jan, Ginang Filipinas has firmly positioned itself as more than a pageant. “It is a movement of empowerment, cultural pride, and personal transformation.” — Cristina DC Pastor
