Brazil 's Larissa Ramos was declared Miss Earth, while the Philippines ' bet Bacoleña Sandra Seifert won the Miss Air 1 st runner-up title, in Boracay last night.

Ramos, a 20-year-old biology student, bested 81 other contenders from different countries. She is the second Brazilian to win the crown after Priscilla Meirelles in 2004.

Venezuela 's Jessica Barboza, 22, was second runner-up (Miss Water), while Spain 's Alejandra Echevarria, 20, was third runner-up (Miss Fire).

During the final round of the competition last night, the eight semi-finalists also included Colombia 's Alejandra Castillo Múnera, Martinique's Pascale Nelide , Poland 's Izabela Wilczek and Rujinan Phanseethum of Thailand .

They were shown pictures of environmental catastrophes and were given 30 seconds to react.

Ramos, who was shown images of air pollution, said that while her country is considered the “lungs of the world,” having the largest rainforest, it is also a large contributor of air pollution.

Seifert, 25, who also bagged the special awards for best in long gown and best in swimwear, was made to react to images of water pollution.

Seifert admitted that it is also a principal problem in the Philippines caused by garbage disposal, which needs to be address.

Miss Earth is an annual international beauty contest that promotes environmental awareness.*APN

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