WHP urged to crown queen before national pageant

With Mt Hagen set to host the Miss Bird of Paradise Papua New Guinea national pageant in December, organisers are calling for the Western Highlands provincial pageant to be staged first.

Chairlady of Miss Bird of Paradise Western Highlands, Delilah Goni, is welcoming the Western Highlands Provincial Government’s support for hosting the national Miss Bird of Paradise Papua New Guinea pageant in Mt Hagen.

However, Ms Goni says the provincial pageant must come first, with Western Highlands crowning its own queen before moving to the national competition.

The provincial pageant, according to the Miss Westeen Highlands Committee in a statement, was delivered within two weeks (in 2025) under Goni’s leadership and has helped create the opportunity for Western Highlands to host the national event this year.

The committee also stated that crowning a provincial queen is important because it completes the provincial stage before the province moves to the national platform.

With the national pageant scheduled for December in Mt Hagen, the team says time is now critical.

They are making a call for a regular and clear communication between the Western Highlands Provincial Government as the major sponsor and host, the Miss Bird of Paradise management and Chairlady Delilah Goni.

They outlined that the stakeholders need to sit down and agree on the remaining arrangements, including outstanding allowances, the proposed pageant budget and other issues that need to be resolved before the national event.

They stressed that the Provincial Government’s support is appreciated, particularly as preparations are already underway at Sir Mara Haus, where a stage is being prepared to host the national pageant.

The Miss Western Highlands committee says hosting the national Miss Bird of Paradise pageant is a major opportunity for Western Highlands to showcase its culture, tourism and people to the country.

Goni who is the provincial pageant Western Highlands chairlady said the provincial queen must be crowned, outstanding matters settled and the budget agreed on, while preparations for the national pageant continue.

With December fast approaching, the Miss Western Highlands committee say there is no time to lose if Western Highlands is to successfully host the Miss Bird of Paradise Papua New Guinea national pageant.