The day the new Miss Universe Philippines (MUPh) is crowned is fast approaching as the 2023 preliminary competitions drew to a close on May 10 at Okada Manila. The evening gown and swimsuit competitions showcased pasarelas that had fans reshuffling their bets for the top queens.
Sponsor and special awards were also given out, with Bohol’s Pauline Amelinckx bagging a total of 10 awards. Following her on the leader board are Pampanga’s Angelique Manto with four awards and Makati’s Michelle Dee with three.
We’ve been scouring the internet and here are the eight queens who seem to be topping the fan favorite lists. Are they your bets, too?
Pauline Amelinckx of Bohol
Miss Universe Philippines Charity 2022 Pauline Amelinckx is fiercer than ever on her third and final shot at the crown. A number of fans consider Bohol’s Belgian-Filipino bet as a sentimental fave since we’ve seen her grow more confident. Aside from a strong face card, she has a good Q&A track record. Her smooth swimsuit/sarong reveal also wowed fans.
As a freediver, she naturally chose to advocate for marine conservation. She also shared in the preliminary interviews that she’s also advocating for body positivity and self-love after receiving negative comments about her body type in her previous tries. For her national costume, she rocked a purple ube-inspired design by Mikee Andrei and Patrick Isorena.
Angelique Manto of Pampanga
It’s no surprise that former UAAP courtside reporter and host Angelique Manto of Pampanga nailed her preliminary interview. She’s been called a “very consistent” speaker and stunned in a sheer Mugler-esque black gown by designer Jaggy Glarino during the evening gown portion. She was giving supermodel.
Manto’s main advocacy is mental health awareness and she’s been working with NGO MentalHealthPH to promote it. For her national costume, she wore a sampaguita-inspired Cholo Ayuyao gown.
Michelle Dee of Makati
There are big expectations for Makati’s Michelle Dee since she earned the title of Miss Universe Philippines Tourism 2022 and is the daughter of Miss International 1979 Melanie Marquez. She’s also a GMA actress who you might have recently seen on “Mga Lihim ni Urduja.”
She stunned in a Mark Bumgarner creation for the evening gown competition and a Michael Barassi national costume called “Gintong Ani.” Her passion for her autism awareness advocacy can be traced back to her love for her brothers Mazen and Adam, who were both diagnosed with autism.
Krishnah Gravidez of Baguio
After the swimsuit competition, Baguio’s Krishnah Gravidez rose through the fan rankings. The bombshell beauty was so fun to watch, bringing much energy to her walk. Her pasarela was even further emphasized by her tassled Rian Fernandez evening gown.
She also caught our eye with her strawberry farmer-inspired Erjohn Dela Serna national costume, which earned her the Tingog ng Filipina award. She’s advocating for children’s welfare and youth empowerment with Colors of Kindness.
Samantha Panlilio of Cavite
Miss Grand Philippines 2021 and Viva artist Samantha Panlilio is one of the candidates who isn’t new to the competition. The Cavite-born queen’s training is very evident in her well-thought out answers for the preliminary interview. She also donned an elaborate Patrick Isorena Aman Sinaya-inspired national costume with a giant headpiece and train that may have been difficult to maneuver for a less prepared queen.
An entrepreneur, Panlilio is an advocate of sustainable farming. Another fun fact: Did you know that the first-ever Binibining Pilipinas winner and Filipina Miss Universe representative Maria Myrna Sese Panlilio is said to be her aunt?
Honorable mentions:
Emmanuelle Vera of Cebu Province
Another bombshell on the list is Filipino-American Reina Hispanoamericana 2021 third runner-up Emmanuelle Vera. She rocked a most daring Benj Leguiab evening gown and caught our attention with her little turn. From her previous anti-trafficking advocacy, she is now focusing on advocating for environmental protection.
CJ Opiaza of Zambales
Zambales’ CJ Opiaza has one of the strongest pasarelas this year. After her evening gown and swimsuit walks, fans have started calling her a runway queen. She knows how to work her sarong and the way she carries herself really accentuates her height. Some fans are even comparing her manner of speaking to Catriona Gray’s. She’s a mental health advocate with Dear Future Self PH.
Klyza Castro of Davao Oriental
Aside from her excellent pasarela, Mutya ng Pilipinas 2019 Klyza Castro’s passion for championing the sustainable livelihood of Indigenous communities like her own Mandaya tribe has won many fans over. Her Patrick Isorena national costume dedicated to coconut farmers called “Tree of Life” reflects this.
Art by Ella Lambio
Follow Preen on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, and Viber