THE WORLD-FAMOUS island paradise of Boracay is the setting of the 9th Miss Earth beauty pageant?with the newly built Boracay Ecovillage Resort and Convention Center as venue for the coronation night on Nov. 22, to be aired at 10 p.m. on ABS-CBN.

Boracay is hosting 80 Miss Earth candidates, now billeted at the Fairways and Blue Water.

This is the first time the Miss Earth finals will be conducted outside Luzon. Its first seven editions were held in Metro Manila, while last year?s was at the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga.

Likewise, this is the first time Boracay is hosting an international beauty contest. Pageant organizer Carousel Productions said it will take full advantage of the magnificent location.

?We will show the beauty of Boracay from sunrise until after sundown. The production will show the pageant night as if it happened throughout the day,? Carousel executive vice president Lorraine Schuck told Inquirer Entertainment during the candidates? press presentation Nov. 4 in ?Mader?s Garden,? the Pasig City residence of beauty guru Ricky Reyes.

At the same press presentation, Schuck revealed another surprise: ?The pageant?s official jeweler Ramona Haar designed a new crown, embellished with some 80 gemstones donated by countries participating in the pageant.?

To adhere to the pageant?s environmental thrust, the new crown also used 100 percent recycled precious metals comprised of 14-karat gold and argentums sterling silver. It is estimated to cost $100,000 and will require escorts to guard it wherever it is displayed, said Schuck.

These developments approximate the upgrades that rival beauty tilt Miss Universe made this year. The Donald Trump-owned pageant was held in a resort destination, the Bahamas, and also revealed a new crown.

The Miss Universe contest marked its first back-to-back win with Venezuela?s Stefania Fernandez, taking the title from compatriot Dayana Mendoza.

Hometown bet Sandra Inez Seifert is poised to inherit the crown from outgoing queen Karla Paula Henry, also of the Philippines.

Seifert, a Negros-raised Filipino-German nurse, already snagged two major preliminary awards?Best in Swimsuit and Best in Evening Gown.