Priscilla Meirelles, 21, a Brazilian medical student, clinched Miss Earth 2004 title in a beauty pageant after outperforming 60 other candidates in Philippine suburban Quezon City on Sunday. In the Philippines, constants participated in a whirlwind of activities aimed to protect environment, such as cleaning a beach of trash, doing farm work, planting mahogany trees, etc, organisers said.The Miss Earth pageant, launched three years ago by a Philippine production outfit, requires candidates to be aware of environmental problems faced by their respective countries.

The ten-day tour of the Miss Earth pageant, which began on Saturday, first brought the 70 beauty constants for the fourth Miss Earth Pageant to Clark where part of the ladies participate in a biking event to promote “clean air” awareness, one of the major advocacies of the pageant.

The contestants also visited the famous Philippine “Summer Capital” of Baguio city to spearhead a tree planting activity to promote forest management and propagation, another major advocacy of the pageant.The Miss Earth Pageant was conceptualized by the Carousel Production Inc in 2001, where 42 constants from around the world launched the first ever beauty pageant with a cause and is presently ranked the third biggest beauty pageant in the world, according to the Philippine government agency.

Samadzai, condemned in her conservative homeland after appearing in a bikini during the same beauty contest last year, rejoined the pageant on Sunday as a judge, saying the controversy bolstered her advocacy for women's rights. (AP photo)

Samadzai was among the 11 judges. There was no Afghan competitor this year. There are no first and runner-up finishers in the competition – each of the final four receives a title.

Yanina Gonzalez, a 24-year-old marketing student from Paraguay, was named Miss Fire. Murielle Celimene, an 18-year-old student from Martinique, was Miss Air, and Stephanie Lesage, a 20-year-old social economics student from Tahiti, was Miss Water.