Binibining Pilipinas International 2018 Maria Ahtisa Manalo brought pride to the country with her first runner-up finish during the Miss International 2018 beauty pageant which was held on November 9 at Tokyo Dome City Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
A total of 77 contestants from different countries competed for the highly coveted crown making it the year with the most delegates throughout the pageant’s history.
Prior to the pageant, Manalo has been one of the early favorites and has been named by several pageant experts as one of the top candidates.
During the national costume portion of the pageant, Manalo donned a multi-colored tribal dress with feathers which was designed by Amir Sali.
She also wowed the audience members when she strutted down the runway in her yellow one piece during the swimsuit competition.
When the long gown competition came, Manalo looked regal in a Michael Cinco creation which features intricate beadings and fringe details.
Together with the other Top 8 finalists, Manalo delivered her final speech on what she would do if she will win the crown.
Manalo said: “Miss International is a celebration of youth and empowerment. I’ve always believed that age is not a barrier to reach our dreams or to have an impact on others. At 15, I started to help programs in my community for street children. At 19, I graduated college. At 20, I realized that I can speak for good causes to a wider audience, that’s why I joined our national pageant. If I become Miss International, I would continue being the voice of the youth in showing that nothing is impossible with hard work and determination. And with these beautiful ladies with me tonight – a family of beauty queens – all beautiful, young dreamers and achievers – we will show the world that it is love, peace, and beauty that we truly care about, and together, we shall make a difference.”
At the end of the event, Miss International 2017 Kevin Lilliana from Indonesia crowned Miss Venezuela Mariem Velazco as her successor. Velazco also happened to be celebrating her birthday during the pageant.
Other winners include South Africa’s Reabetswe Sechoaro, Romania’s Bianca Tirsin, and Colombia’s Anabella Castro Sierra as the second, third, and fourth runners-up, respectively.
Miss Singapore, Miss South Africa, Miss Argentina, Miss Netherlands, and Miss Guam were also named as this year’s Continental Queens.
