Ms. Universe 2013 Gabriela Isler: 'Filipino women are really beautiful'

MANILA, Philippines – Reigning Miss Universe Gabriela Isler of Venezuela is currently in the country to help crown the winners of this year's Binibining Pilipinas pageant on Sunday.

 

Gabriela, who arrived in the Philippines on Thursday, will also be one of the judges in  the grand coronation night of Binibining Pilipinas, which chooses the country's representatives to international pageants such as the Miss Universe and the Miss International. She is accompanied by Paula Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization. 

 

WATCH: Miss Universe 2013 Gabriela Isler to judge 2014 Bb. Pilipinas

 

“Like the Philippines, Venezuela is a huge fan of the beauty pageant. We work really hard to make our country happy,” the 26-year-old beauty queen told members of the press.

 

In the media gathering held immediately after his arrival in the country on Thursday, Gabriela acknowledged the Philippines has become a “strong” contender in the international beauty pageant circuit.

 

“I think the Philippines have become a really strong contestant not only in Miss Universe, but you have Miss International, you have Miss World. Philippines is always in the top five, top four, top three. So you're definitely doing something good,” Gabriela said.

 

 

She added, “The women here (the Philippines) are really, really beautiful.”

 

Gabriela bested 85 delegates—including the Philippines' Ariella Arida—to win the Miss Universe crown last year.

 

Asked to assess the Filipina beauty queen, Gabriela said: “I met Ariella (Arida), and also Janine (Tugonon, Miss Universe 2012 first runner-up). And both of them are really beautiful, they have this sort of exotic beauty. But as for the most important, they have this charm. They're really, really beautiful, they have a beautiful heart.” 

 

Hardly halfway through her reign, Gabriela said she wants to be remembered later in life not as a Miss Universe but “as Gabriela,” a “normal girl.”

 

RELATED: Top 16 Binibining Pilipinas picks

 

“I'm a real, simple girl. I just want to show that. I just want to show the girls that you don't have to be perfect, you just have to be real. You have to show your feelings, your emotions. And I just want to be remembered as a simple girl,” she said.

 

Her advice to other beauty queen hopefuls? “My advice is confidence. If you have confidence, it will show in your eyes, in your body, in your movement, in your words. You can have a beautiful face, beautiful body. But if you don't have confidence, if you don't believe in yourself, no one will believe in you.”