It proved to be a contest of brains and talent during the Miss Manaragat Pre-Pageant Night last August 15, 2009 at the New Maqueda Bay Hotel, signalling the start of the competition period in search of the girl who will be crowned as Miss Manaragat 2009.

Ten (10) lovely candidates performed their respective talents and answered questions from the judges during the interview portion as they vied for the Miss Talent and Miss Eloquence Awards. Also up for grabs during that night was the Miss Ever Bilena Special Award, the winner of which was personally handpicked by Ever Bilena Cosmetics local distributor Ms. Tess Yulo.
Ever Bilena Cosmetics was the official sponsor of the swimwear apparels used by the candidates during their photo sessions.

Candidate no. 10 Cherry Jean Romano took an early lead as she bagged two of the three special awards namely the Miss Ever Bilena and the Miss Eloquence special awards. Her talent, a declamation piece entitled “The Screaming Fetus” was also among the three chosen talent performances that were considered as the best of the crop.

The other two were an interpretative dance to the tune of “Anak ng Pasig” performed by Sherlyn Catindoy (Contestant # 7) and a Michael Jackson medley dance number performed by Karen Rea Rarugal (Contestant # 8). The mechanics of the Pre-Pageant Night stated that the three best talent performances will be presented on the Grand Coronation Night on August 21, where the winner for the Miss Talent award will also be announced.

The pre-pageant results were determined by a four-man panel headed by Mr. Raulito Reyes, the Assistant City Planning and Development Officer. Other judges included Ms. Tess Yulo, Ms. Clarita Menda, Dep. Ed. – Samar Communications Officer and Mr. Edward Uy, the son of City Mayor Coefredo T. Uy.

The candidates, which previously numbered twelve (12), were officially presented to the public through a press conference just the day before at the Flaming Hat Restaurant. This activity served as the basis for choosing the winner for the Darling of the Press special award, which will be chosen by the media practitioners themselves. The winner will also be proclaimed on the Grand Coronation Night.

It also served as the venue for the first phase of the preliminary interview which constituted 50% of the score that will serve as basis for determining the Miss Eloquence winner.

Two of the candidates, Jachel Maye Domingo and Jerica Tanseco, has since backed out, reducing the number of official candidates to ten. They are: contestant #1, Andrea de Guzman; #2, Ruizza Jane Gubala; #3, Shailenee Marie Aya-ay; #4, Katrina Jean Uy; #5, Dianne Dacallos; #6, Jennifer Labendia; #7, Sherlyn Catindoy; #8, Karen Rea Rarugal; #9, Ria Sevilla and #10; Cherry Jean Romano.