By By Kin F. Sabala
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Mr. and Miss CAPSU Mambusao 2025
Our dreams are limitless. They do not end with one fall, nor do they crumble at the sound of “better luck next time.” Dreams, like the sun, always rise again. When we stumble once, we must rise twice. This was the same heartbeat that carried the newly crowned Mr. CAPSU Mambusao 2025, Rigel Kent D. Delfin, and Miss CAPSU Mambusao 2025, Lycah Mae U. Acuyong, toward their long-awaited victory. Their crowns are not just made of gold and stones but of second chances, persistence, and faith.
Entry to Pageantry
Rigel’s journey began in 2023. He walked on the stage for the first time, full of hope. The spotlight was on him, the cheers were loud, but destiny had other plans. He won Best in Opening Speech yet fell short of entering the top three. For many, it could have been the end. But Rigel treated it as a rehearsal, a trial by fire that forged his spirit.
Meanwhile, Lycah was no stranger to pageantry. In 2024, she wore the sash of First Runner-Up—a sweet recognition, but still a step away from the dream she held since the first time she stepped on stage. She carried the pain of being “almost” but never “the one.”
Yet she didn’t stop.
Pens before Crowns
Beyond the spotlight, both winners sharpen their pens as campus journalists. Rigel serves as the associate editor, while Lycah contributes as a writer. Perhaps this is why their answers in the Q&A portion sounded less like rehearsed lines and more like truths written from the heart. They know how words can wound or heal, and they used them not to impress, but to inspire.
Living the Dream
Dreams, when nurtured, bloom even in the harshest soil. For Lycah, the crown was never about vanity—it was about perseverance.
“I feel deeply satisfied and overjoyed because this has always been my dream,” she shared after her win. “Ever since I first stepped on stage, I envisioned myself wearing this crown, not just as a symbol of beauty but of hard work, perseverance, and growth. Winning Miss CAPSU Mambusao 2025 is proof that every challenge, late-night practice, and moment of doubt was worth it. It’s not just about fulfilling a dream—it’s about believing in myself and trusting God’s timing.”
Her words echoed the truth that dreams come not when you demand them, but when you are ready. Lycah’s readiness came through years of trying. Looking back, she said her experiences in Miss CAPSU Mambusao 2024 and Lin-ay were not failures, but stepping stones.
"Those experiences taught me that losing is not the end, but a lesson that makes you stronger and wiser,” she explained. “They shaped me into someone who knows how to handle pressure with grace, and how to turn weaknesses into strengths. Without those stepping stones, I wouldn’t have had the courage and determination to stand tall and finally win the crown today.”
Even her final interview showed her growth. When asked about her greatest accomplishment, she did not speak of medals or trophies but of bravery. “My greatest accomplishment that I am proud of right now is getting out of my comfort zone because before I was shy to take a risk. I doubted myself. But right now, I do believe you can’t win if you don’t practice how to lose.”
Her crown, therefore, is not just for herself but for everyone who has ever been afraid to try.
For Rigel, the journey was no lighter. His crown carried the weight of sacrifices.
“Winning as Mr. CAPSU Mambusao 2025 is one of the most heartwarming and unforgettable moments of my life,” he said. “More than the crown and sash, this victory is a symbol of every sacrifice, every sleepless night, and every moment of doubt that I had to overcome along the way. This title is not only mine, it belongs to everyone who believed in me even when I struggled to believe in myself,” Rigel shared.
Rigel’s 2023 journey shaped him more than any other experience. He confessed that it was a year of pressure, insecurities, and lessons. “That chapter of my journey was not easy, it challenged me to rise from failures, to turn my insecurities into strengths, and to accept that growth often comes through struggles. It was in those moments that I learned how to stand tall despite pressure, how to smile despite nervousness, how to rise from every fall, and how to keep going even when the odds seemed against me.”
His final interview answer revealed the reality many students carry silently. “As a student, the biggest difficulty I usually encounter is the lack of financial support. Because every time I go to school, my mother always tries to find money just to provide for us. And right now, I am on the stage, standing in front of you as a testament of how rising from every fall does not only make me a better student but also a better child. No matter what problem I face, here I am, still fighting and still chasing my dreams.”
His words were not just an answer—they were a mirror of his life. A life of hardships, but also of persistence.
The Heart of Victory
The crowns on their heads are not mere ornaments. They are symbols of resilience, of refusing to give up when the world says, “Not yet.” Rigel and Lycah’s triumph is not only a personal win but a shared story with every student who has faced failure, doubt, or hardship.
Their journeys remind us that second chances are not given, they are earned. That sometimes, you have to lose before you truly learn how to win. And that rising from the ground is more beautiful than never falling at all.
As the applause faded and the lights dimmed, Rigel and Lycah stood not just as Mr. and Miss CAPSU Mambusao 2025—but as living testaments that dreams delayed are not dreams denied. Because when you rise twice after falling once, you do not just win,
you shine.