Karen Ibasco

The University of Santo Tomas College of Science Alumni Association recognized Ibasco as a notable graduate in the Thomasian Outstanding Alumni Scientists Tribute (TOAST) Awards on March 2, 2019 for her environmental advocacies and in recognition of her significant and exemplary contribution to the science community and the nation.

In May 2018, Ibasco was one of the recipients of The Outstanding Men and Women of the Year Philippines for her contributions to society and the country, as well as her active pursuit of her environmental advocacies. The event was held at the Teatrino Promenade in Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila where she also won the Face of the Year special award.

She traveled in Vietnam in January 2018 to grace a fashion event together with Miss Earth Vietnam 2010 Lưu Thị Diễm Hương and supermodel Võ Hoàng Yến which was organized by fashion designer, Tuyet Le. She was also the guest of honor in the opening of Shira Clinic and Spa in Hanoi.

In June 2018, she went to Mexico to attend social and environmental activities of the Miss Earth Mexico pageant. She was accompanied by Miss Water 2017, Juliana Franco of Colombia. Ibasco proceeded to Reunion Islands together with Miss Earth Fire 2018 Lada Akimova of Russia and served as guest speakers at the very first Environmental Conference in Réunion Island and visited the city of Saint-Pierre to raise ecological awareness through school tours where they educated children on the daily actions in favor of the environment, spearheaded the planting of more than 1000 trees in the Saint-Pierre territory with the introduction of various endemic species.

In July 2018, she led the tree planting activity in Balasan, Iloilo called "One Thousand Trees for the Future, A Tree Planting Activity" in coordination with The Open Arms for Children, Inc and the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources. She also participated in the opening of the two-day Bataan Environment Summit 2018, which tackled Bataan's environmental conservation and protection achievements.

She traveled to Singapore in August 2018 as special guest for the Miss Earth Singapore 2018 pageant in which she crowned Kara Dong at the Grand Ballroom of One Farrer Hotel on August 3, 2018. She then proceeded to Bogotá, Colombia to attend the Miss Earth Colombia and crowned Valeria Maria Ayos Bossa as Miss Earth Colombia 2018 on August 26, 2018 and then traveled to Belgium and met with the Philippine ambassador in Brussels and talked about the diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Belgium.

Ibasco was a candidate at Binibining Pilipinas 2016 pageant and represented the city of Manila. Ibasco participated the following year and won in the Miss Philippines Earth 2017 on July 15, 2017 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City and earned the right to represent the Philippines at Miss Earth 2017 pageant.

Ibasco represented the Philippines in the Miss Earth 2017 pageant held in the Philippines where she was eventually crowned as Miss Earth 2017 by the outgoing Miss Earth 2016 Katherine Espín of Ecuador. She is the 4th Filipina to win the Miss Earth crown and the 3rd in the last four years. During the final question and answer portion all the contestants were asked the same question by the host James Deakin: "Who or what do you think is the biggest enemy of Mother Earth and why?", she answered:

Ibasco was personally congratulated by former Philippine president and Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada when she paid a courtesy call on Estrada at the latter's office in Manila City Hall. She was also congratulated by former Manila City Mayor and Buhay Party-List, Lito Atienza for giving pride and honor to the City of Manila in winning Miss Earth 2017.

The 17th Congress of the Senate of the Philippines through the Philippine Senate Resolution Number 539 authored by Philippine Senator Sonny Angara commended Ibasco on November 7, 2017 for being crowned as Miss Earth 2017. In a separate Senate Resolution Number 544 was filed on November 20, 2017 to recognize and commend Ibasco for honoring the Philippines in winning the Miss Earth 2017 pageant was authored by Senator Joel Villanueva. The Resolution indicated that "the Filipina beauty queen’s positive and strong determination to fulfill her dream of winning the title is indeed a positive example and great inspiration to her countrymen, particularly the youth, that no dream is impossible as long as she puts her heart and mind to it; Resolve by the Senate, that the Senate of the Philippines recognizes and commends Karen Ibasco on her victory at the Miss Earth 2017, and extends its warmest gratitude for bringing pride and glory to all Filipino citizens."

The Lower House of the seventeenth Philippines Congress, House of Representatives of the Philippines also had two separate House Resolutions commending and conferring the "Congressional Medal of Distinction" to Ibasco for her victory in the Miss Earth 2017 pageant through the House Resolution Number 1438 authored by Congressman Eric L. Olivarez on November 6, 2017 and House Resolution 1465 authored by Congressman Yul Servo on November 21, 2017. “The House Resolution stated “As the reigning Miss Earth 2017, Ibasco will serve as the ambassador to environmental protection campaigns worldwide, influencing millions of people and creating a huge effect to the preservation of our Mother Earth for future generation. By being crowned Miss Earth, she made the country proud and has shown to the world the true meaning of Filipino beauty, excellence and love for the environment. Her beauty is truly a beauty for a cause.”

In August 2017, Ibasco was invited in the Senate of the Philippines and voiced her support for the fuel excise tax provision at one of the hearings conducted by the Senate ways and means committee on the proposed Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act (TRAIN). She indicated in the hearing that "as a signatory to the Paris climate change treaty that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Philippine is committed within a specific timeframe to cut its carbon emissions, which can be done partly by approving the fuel excise tax provision under TRAIN."

Ibasco went to Cambodia in November 2017 and took part with the environmental and social activities such as school tours, tree planting and visited historical landmarks Angkor Wat and Siem Reap.

She joined a climate change conference on December 7, 2017 where she delivered a welcome message at the first Kasugbong Kalibutan International Climate Change Conference in Catbalogan, Samar.

Karen Santos Ibasco (born December 17, 1990) is a Filipina physicist and beauty queen, who was the winner of Miss Earth 2017, after previously being crowned Miss Philippines Earth 2017.

Ibasco was born on December 17, 1990 in Manila, Philippines. She studied at Hope Christian High School in Manila and she speaks Chinese fluently. She obtained her bachelor's degree in applied physics major in instrumentation and a master's degree in applied physics major in medical physics at the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, where she graduated cum laude on both degrees. She was also a former college instructor at the College of Science of the University of Santo Tomas and worked as a medical physicist at St. Luke's Medical Center, Global City.