A 17-year-old true blue dyed-in-the-wool Cordilleran won this year’s Ms. Baguio pageant last Sept. 2.

Kimberle Penchon, who traces her roots in Barlig, Mountain Province and Itogon, Benguet, got the highest rating from the top three remaining candidates, who were equally strong bets for the title.

Penchon, a third year Hotel and Restaurant Management student at the University of Baguio, was among the candidates who entered the “Magic 7” after each of them was rated in various aspects on the beauty competition. She also represented Barangay Happy Homes.

The cash prize for the Ms. Baguio is P50,000 aside from other special and valuable tokens, including scholarship grant from the sponsors.

The six other candidates were Sarah Abdul, Jhuniya Viernes, Hazel Ibay, Rhojane Malabed, Marjorie Antigua, and Ira Kei Ocampo.

After the question and answer portion, Penchon, Abdul, and Viernes made it in the top three.

Declared first runner-up was Abdul and Viernes, second runner-up.

The pageant is an official activity of the 103rd Charter Day of Baguio.

Those who qualified to join the pageant were evaluated based on the following requirements: They must be residents of Baguio for one year, single, stands at least five feet and two inches, between 16 to 25 years old, possesses beauty, poise, personality, wit, intellect and of good moral character.