She just stood there in her gold-embroidered chiffon evening gown and tried to hold back her emotions. Then, as she took her first steps as the 2007 MassKara Queen and as the audience chanted her name, tears started streaming down her face.

It was her moment and Rosario Anne Sales savored it with unwavering elegance and confidence, which she radiated all throughout the pageant until the feathered silver crown was put on her head.

"I'm very happy," Sales said, clutching the bouquet of red and white roses as she posed for photographers at the University of St. La Salle Coliseum last night.

The 20-year-old Nursing major at USLS punctuated the last phase of the pageant with a statement that made part of the crowd stand up and applaud after falling silent for a full minute to hear her every word in the fully packed coliseum, which seats around 8,000.

And she also got the nod of the five judges that included acclaimed filmmaker Maurice "Peque" Gallaga, Tourism Regional Director Edwin Trompeta, interior designer Raymund Fuentes, dancer Georgette Sanchez and beauty queen Carmela Arcolas-Gamboa during the three-hour show.

Asked what Bacolod icon she would choose to represent the province's capital, Sales said, "I will choose the San Sebastian Cathedral, the icon of faith. Because with it I could think that we are all the same. There is no discrimination between rich and poor, if you're normal or abnormal. We are all accepted and we will be united as one Bacolod."

Sales took home P100,000 in cash and a P200,000 insurance policy aside from the Best in Swimsuit, Globe Texters' Choice, Miss Negros Navigation and Miss Samsung special awards.

Candidate number 1 Kristine Alonso was declared first runner up while finalist number 7 Nicole Marie Dimailig, who was also judged as Best in Talent, won second runner-up.*PP

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