A total of 25 out of 84 Miss Earth candidates were at Hotel Pontefino in Batangas City Sunday and Monday to engage in a swim wear fashion show and a tree planting activity. The grand coronation night of the pageant will be held in the University of the Philippines Theater in Quezon City on December 3. MATIKAS SANTOS/INQUIRER.net

BATANGAS CITY, Philippines — In keeping with its campaign of protecting the environment, the Miss Earth Beauty Pageant immersed this year’s candidates in a tree-planting activity here Monday.

Miss Earth candidates Miss Thailand and Miss Trinidad and Tobago get their hands dirty during the tree planting activity in Hotel Pontifino. MATIKAS SANTOS/INQUIRER.net

Twenty-four of the 84 candidates, along with Mayor Vilma Dimacuha and local officials, planted fire trees at the Pontefino Hotel where they have been staying since the weekend.

The Philippines’ representative, Athena Imperial, and Miss India’s Nicole Feria, Miss Earth 2010, were not part of the group.

“We all help each other and we just got to do our best to help out our Earth. Because this is our home, I think we should help each other to make the Earth the best place [it can be] for everyone.” Miss Thailand said in an interview.

Most parts of Thailand have been hit by floods, believed to have been caused by environmental problems.

The 2011 beauty contest was supposed to have been held in Thailand, but had to be moved to the Philippines because of the floods.

The grand coronation night will be held at the University of the Philippines Theater in Quezon City on December 3.