New Zealand held its first ever Mrs. Universe pageant and a Filipina mother of three won the crown.
“Thank you for the support. This crown is actually not for me but for the community, for the Filipino and I hope I can make you all proud,” Carmela Laylo said after her coronation in Auckland last September 21.
Laylo bagged several special awards including Best in sports attire, best in swimsuit attire, best evening gown, and Mrs. Community Service Award.
“A childhood dream which I thought was impossible to achieve at the age of 40 and with 3 kids,” Laylo explained.
The beauty queen has expressed her gratitude to her supportive family and friends.
“I always wanted to serve other people, and this is a bigger platform for me, to put my passion into action,” Laylo explained.
Laylo moved to New Zealand seven years ago. She was a native of Calapan City Mindoro.
The competition had 12 finalists and 4 of them were Filipinos.
Laylo is now preparing for the Mrs. Universe 2019, which will be held in China in December.
