MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Cagayan de Oro’s Nikki De Moura was crowned Miss Grand Philippines 2023 at the culmination held at the SM Mall Of Asia Arena in Pasay City on July 13.
The 19-year-old Filipino-Brazilian model/queen bested 29 other contestants to inherit the title from Roberta Tamondong, the fifth runner in the 2022 Miss Grand International pageant. The reigning Miss Grand International Isabella Menin from Brazil also witnessed the new queen’s coronation as the country’s official delegate in the global tilt’s 11th edition later this year.
Meanwhile, other winners in the inaugural Miss Grand Philippines pageant include Michelle Arceo of Bagumbayan, Quezon City, and Herlene Budol of Angono, Rizal, who won the Reina Hispanoamericana Filipinas and Miss Philippines Tourism titles, respectively.
Tarlac’s Francine Reyes was also proclaimed Miss Eco Teen Philippines, with Caloocan City’s Shanon Tampon and Cherrie Sergio of Caluya, Antique as first and second runner-ups.
De Moura was crowned Miss Teen Philippines in 2019 at the age of 15. In 2021, at 17, she joined the Asia-wide reality modeling competition “Supermodel Me” where she finished second.
The current Miss Grand Philippines pageant mounted by ALV Pageant Circle is the second standalone national competition that chooses the country’s representative to the Miss Grand International contest. The late pageant mentor and organizer John Dela Vega organized the first one in 2014.
The Philippines has yet to win a Miss Grand International crown, with past representatives Nicole Cordoves (2016) and Samantha Bernardo (2020/2021) only finishing their campaigns as first runner-up.
In addition, several other Bb. Pilipinas queens finished in the Top 5—Ali Forbes in 2013, Parul Shah in 2015, and Elizabeth Clenci in 2017.
Tamondong ended her journey in the Top 20 and now shares the runner-up title with four other candidates from the Top 10. – WhatALife!/Val
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