Miss Cebu 2023

Candidate #11

Niña Danielle Illustrisimo, 23

CEBU, Philippines —  Niña Danielle Illustrisimo, a Business Administration student at the University of San Carlos, had screened for last year’s Miss Cebu but failed to make the cut. “I was a little devastated, but I took it more as a re-direction for me, rather than as a failure,” she shares.

With improved pageantry skills and a better mental attitude thanks to her participation in Miss Mandaue 2022, it was sweeter the second time around for this Miss Cebu 2023 candidate.

Explaining the reason behind her body positivity advocacy, she says, “I suffer from body dysmorphia due to my medical condition which is PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome). I was belittled and I had a lot of setbacks to the point I thought I was a failure.”

But she refuses to let her doubts take over. “It’s a goal for me to inspire not only Cebuanos but also the whole world, to become better and to create a mind that will not falter and a heart that remains strong.”

Should she become Miss Cebu 2023, the self-described foodie is keen on promoting Cebu City’s unique culinary culture. “I want to encourage people to experience Cebu through their tastebuds,” she says, listing pungko-pungko and tuslob buwa as some of her favorites.

She also wants to be the face of the Queen City of the South’s signature hospitality, saying that she “will make sure that as an ambassadress of Cebu, I will embody [these values] and become the point person that will bridge Cebu to the world.”