WATCH: 'Winning Miss World Philippines 2015 feels surreal'

MANILA, Philippines - Hillarie Parungao said she did not expect to win the Miss World Philippines 2015 despite winning several special awards early in the competition.

 

"I was praying so hard... It's so surreal to see (Valerie Weigmann, Miss World Philippines 2014) come up to me and put the crown on my head," the 24-year-old beauty queen said in an interview after the pageant on Sunday night.

 

IN PHOTOS: Miss World Philippines 2015 coronation night

 

She added: "It's something I would really treasure for the rest of my life."

 

Although the Miss World Philippines 2015 is not her first beauty contest (she joined the Miss Asia Pacific World pageant in South Korea last year), it is Hillarie's first national pageant. 

 

Winning the title, she said, is a dream come true.

 

IN PHOTOS: Sexy beauty queens in swimsuit competition of Miss World PH 2015

 

The Nueva Vizacaya native will represent the Philippines in the upcoming Miss World 2015 beauty pageant in China.

 

"As of now, I don't want to promise anything, just that I would do my best in China," Parungao said.

 

Watch Hillarie Parungao's first interview as Miss World Philippines 2015 in the video below: