2023 recap: How the Philippines fared in international beauty pageants

MANILA, Philippines — Pageant fans and experts are familiar with the terms “Big Four,” “Big Five,” and even “Big Six,” which refer to the international beauty competitions they consider top-tier, although other beauty contests are also equally prestigious and relevant. They are the major contests of pulchritude and personality, with advocacies and causes.

Enumerated here according to their year of establishment and mounting of the first edition, Miss World, Miss Universe, Miss International, Miss Earth, Miss Supranational, and Miss Grand International comprise this pageant grouping.

Regardless of the name given to a group of beauty tilts, the long-standing and emerging ones celebrate the potential and qualities of women as voices of others and voices for different causes.

Thus, these contests are important and constitute the pageantry world that many enjoy and anticipate every year.

Following these beauty competitions, from pre-pageant activities to the finals’ night, provides one insight on how every participating country will perform and has fared for a given year.

Just focusing on the above-mentioned contests, five Filipinas represented the Philippines with pride and confidence.

They were Michelle Marquez Dee for Miss Universe; Nicole Borromeo, Miss International; Yllana Aduana, Miss Earth; Pauline Amelinckx, Miss Supranational; and Nikki de Moura, Miss Grand International.

Gwendolyne Fourniol will represent the country in the forthcoming Miss World 2023, to be held in New Delhi come March. In the previous edition of Miss World, Tracy Maureen Perez reached the Top 13 and was among the winners of Head-to-Head challenge.

The first to represent the country in 2023 was Pauline, who went to Poland for the Miss Supranational’s finals in July. She breezed through the Top 24, Top 12 and Top 5 rounds. With her performance in the Question-and-Answer portion, everybody thought that she had it in the bag. Pauline finished first runner-up, with the Supra Chat winner special award.

Next to wear the Philippine sash was Nikki, who checked all the boxes of another Pinay stunner who could win the first Miss Grand International crown for the country. She went to Vietnam for the pageant’s 11th edition in October. However, in the live telecast, she didn’t advance to the first round of competition, but despite the results, many still consider her a strong Philippine delegate.

Also held in October was the 2023 Miss International, the pageant’s 61st edition. Nicole was the Philippine bet who continued the Top 15 placement of the country at the said Japan-based beauty competition. She eventually made it to the Top 7 and Top 5 and was named third runner-up.

Come November in El Salvador, it was the turn of Michelle to represent the country with goals to regain the Philippines’ semi-finalist placement at the Miss Universe and win its fifth title.

Michelle successfully carried out her mission by further reaching the Top 10. During the prelims, coronation night and even post-pageant, Michelle received such accolades as the Voice for Change gold, Spirit of Carnival, Fan Vote, and Best National Costume. That’s why she is considered the most awarded Miss Philippines at Miss Universe.

The last Pinay beauty to compete was Yllana, who went to Vietnam for the 23rd edition of Miss Earth. Like the four other Philippine bets, who are beauties with a strong, clear stance on issues and advocacies, she was deemed to perform well. She smoothly sailed through and entered the Top 20, Top 12, Top 8, and Top 4.

Yllana also had the rare opportunity, similar to Pauline, to be part of the last two women standing on the center stage and eventually being awarded the Miss Earth Air title. The latter is equivalent to a first runner-up finish.

For the year that was, 2023, the Philippine delegates in these pageants did everything they could to best represent the country, and they all deserve a pat on the back.

The Philippines secured two first runners-up, one third runner-up, and a Top 10 finalist placement in four of the five beauty pageants. It’s safe to say that the country did fare well.

So far, the Philippines has won four Miss Universe titles (Gloria Diaz, Margie Moran, Pia Wurtzbach, and Catriona Gray); one Miss World crown (Megan Young); six Miss International titles (Gemma Cruz, Aurora Pijuan, Melanie Marquez, Lara Quigaman, Bea Rose Santiago, and Kylie Verzosa); four Miss Earth crowns (Karla Henry, Jamie Herrell, Angelia Ong, and Karen Ibasco) and with a back-to-back win courtesy of Jamie and Angelia; and one Miss Supranational title (Mutya Datul).

This year, Lady Luck will hopefully be on the country’s side for its Pinay representative to secure the first Miss Grand International win.

Given its previous records and recent achievements, the Philippines is still a pageant powerhouse.