Miss Baguio Tourism Roi Neve Comanda took over as Reyna ng Aliwan 2019 titlist replacing Nicole Borromeo who was dethroned over a conflict with pageant organizers.
Comanda, who represented the Panagbenga Festival, finished as second runner-up to Borromeo, the reigning Sinulog Festival Queen, at the Reyna ng Aliwan pageant held in April 2019.
The Manila Broadcasting Company, organizer of the annual Aliwan Fiesta, the Grand Festival of Champions, released a statement to the press that Borromeo had violated the terms and conditions of Aliwan Fiesta Festival search which she had conformed in writing prior to the pageant. This included her joining the Miss Teen Philippines pageant and the coming Miss Millenial Philippines 2019. This is the first time in the 17-year history of the Aliwan Fiesta that the festival queen winner has been stripped of her title.
Fondly called Neeve, the 20-year-old Accountancy and Business Administration student of the University of Cordilleras, will assume the title of Aliwan Fiesta Queen 2019 and will get to travel around the country to grace various festivals, expand her knowledge on tourism initiatives of different LGUs and to boost her hometown province of Baguio and the Panagbenga festival.
Neeve is the third Panagbenga representative to become Reyna ng Aliwan after the back-to-back win of Syrel Aubrey Amazon in 2005 and Vera Eumee Reiter in 2006 who later won as Mutya ng Pilipinas Tourism International after relinquishing her title as Reyna ng Aliwan.
Other Reyna ng Aliwan winners who went on to win national and international titles include Miss Universe Philippines 2014 MJ Lastimosa, Miss Earth 2014 Jamie Herrell, Miss Tourism International 2014 Rizzini Gomez, and Miss Eco International 2017 Cynthia Thomalla.
Reyna ng Aliwan runners up Karla Henry and Ahtisa Manalo also won Miss Earth 2008 and Miss International 2018 first runner-up, respectively.
