Born in May 23, 1986 Karla Paula Henry is Filipino Canadian beauty pageant titleholder. She was crowned Miss Earth 2008 in her home country, the headquarters of Miss Earth organization becoming the first Philippine representative and the first in the Asian region to be crowned as Miss Earth. Henry was raised by her grandparents until the age of four when her family went to reside in Tsawwassen, Canada until she was 14. Even then, she would visit the Philippines every summer and Christmas. Upon her family’s return to the Philippines, they first lived in Albay, Bicol for a year before residing permanently in Cebu.
She studied high school at Camp Lapulapu National High School in 2003, and had her college at the University of Cebu in 2005. Henry’s father travels a lot, and she had to transfer school most of the time. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Tourism and was working with Marco Polo Plaza Hotel when she was invited to join the Miss Earth pageant. She also studied the Spanish language. Henry first foray into the world of beauty pageants was as a student representing her school for Miss Intramurals and Miss Milo Olympics. She joined her first professional beauty contest at age 17 in October 2003. However, her next foray would not be until 2006 when she placed second runner-up in the Miss Cebu pageant.
In the final competition of the eighth edition of the international beauty pageant Miss Earth, which was held at Clark Expo in Angeles City, Pampanga, Philippines on November 9, 2008, Henry was announced as one of sixteen semi-finalists who would move forward to compete for the title. She achieved one of the eight highest scores in the swimsuit competition for her stage chops, which advanced her as one of the top eight finalists to participate in the evening gown competition. She strutted a yellow-green evening gown with a high middle slit laden with rainbow-colored beads and sequins along the bodice. She then pulled away for the lead as she articulated in her video interview about going around public schools teaching about the environment as she cited that lack of knowledge about environmental concerns is a key issue in her country, in which she advanced to the top four.
In the last round, the court of four were asked one question, “What would you tell US president-elect Barack Obama about the state of the global environment if ever you were to meet him?” She used the shopworn cliché “I believe the children are our future” but gave a fresh new context to that line that added to her advantage when she answered, “Environmental knowledge is something that all of us must share, but most importantly we must teach the youth that this is something that we should instill in them so that in the near future they will be the ones to take care of our mother Earth.” She placed the highest score in the interview round and at the conclusion of the competition, she was crowned Miss Earth.
It was the first time in Miss Earth history that the representative of the host nation won the title. Likewise, it’s the second time in a row that a Filipino and half-Canadian held the title of Miss Earth following 2007 winner Jessica Trisko of Canada. Coincidentally, one of the hosts during the Miss Earth 2008 coronation night Riza Santos, who represented Canada in the Miss Earth 2006, has a Filipino-Canadian heritage, but unlike Trisko and Henry, she failed to enter the semifinal round during her time.
