Multiple Filipinos in Miss Universe 2024 not a first in Mexico

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The Miss Universe 2024 pageant is seeing multiple delegates of Filipino heritage, with the Philippines’ Chelsea Manalo reunited with two of her national competition sisters now representing different countries, and an Arab woman who has roots in Cavite. But this is not the first time for it to happen in the global tilt’s Mexican staging.

The previous time that Mexico hosted the Miss Universe pageant, in 2007, there were three delegates among the roster who are of Filipino heritage, Miss Philippines and two part-Filipino bets representing other countries.

Binibining Pilipinas Anna Theresa Licaros, then studying law at the University of the Philippines who was also a summa cum laude graduate in Broadcast Communication, took part in the competition, where she was aso proclaimed as Miss Photogenic.

She was joined in Mexico City by part-Filipino delegates Angelina Glass from Germany, and Kirby Ann Basken from Norway.

Basken was still currently reigning as Mutya ng Pillipinas at that time, and the national pageant organization in the Philippines gave in to her request to pursue the Miss Norway crown back in her father’s home country.

But the three ladies’ bid for the Miss Universe crown was thwarted by Riyo Mori, the second Japanese woman to bring home the crown to the “Land of the Morning Sun.”

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This year, Manalo is joined by her 2024 Miss Universe Philippines batchmates Victoria Velasquez Vincent and Christina Chalk, who successfully won their national crowns in New Zealand and Great Britain, respectively. Also with them is Bahrain’s Shereen Ahmed whose mother is from Cavite.

The 73rd Miss Universe coronation night will be held at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico, on Nov. 16 (Nov. 17 in Manila).