[citation needed] In the final competition of the eighth edition of the international beauty pageant Miss Earth, Elizalde was announced as one of sixteen semi-finalists who would move forward to compete for the title.

She then pulled away for the lead as she articulated in her video interview about environmental concerns as a key issue in her country, in which she advanced to the top four.

[4][5][6] 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 placed the third highest score in the interview round and at the conclusion of the competition, she was crowned Miss Earth Water.

[6][11][12] The Miss Earth pageant was held on November 9, 2008 at the Clark Expo Amphitheater in Angeles, Pampanga, Philippines.

The pageant was broadcast live via ABS-CBN in the Philippines and to many countries worldwide via Star World, The Filipino Channel and other partner networks.