By Alex Y. Vergara
Her countrymen’s hopes of seeing the Philippines win its fifth crown in the world’s most watched beauty pageant were dashed when the autism advocate, bowing out to her Thai, Puerto Rican, Australian, Colombian and Nicaraguan rivals, failed to make it to the contest’s make-or-break question-and-answer rounds. Nicaraguan Sheynnis Palacios eventually won the crown.
Philippine bet Michelle Marquez Dee ended her Miss Universe journey yesterday evening in San Salvador, El Salvador (Sunday morning in Manila) with a top 10 finish, putting the country back after a one-year absence in the beauty pageant’s much-coveted placement roster.
Michelle, one of this year’s frontrunners tipped to win the crown, came out strong in the swimsuit portion, where she paraded with the rest of the top 20 semifinalists in a red tangga with a halter neckline. She earlier made an impactful introduction in an above-the-knee blue dress with a spaghetti-strap neckline with the rest of the 84 delegates.
She easily breezed through the second cut, later landing a spot in the top 10 with other heavy favorites such the delegates from Thailand, Colombia, Pero, El Salvador, Puerto Rico and Nicaragua’s Sheynnis Palacios, 23, who was later declared the eventual winner.
Now on its 72nd year, Miss Universe is without a doubt the most watched contest of its kind in the world, particularly in so-called beauty pageant powerhouse nations such as Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico and the Philippines, which has already produced four Miss Universe winners—Gloria Diaz, Margarita Moran, Pia Wurtzbach and Catriona Gray.
The tiny Central American nation last played host to Miss Universe in 1975, where Philippine bet Rosemarie Brosas placed fourth runner-up. Next year’s edition will be held in Mexico.
Apart from her team from Miss Universe Philippines led by creative director Jonas Gaffud, Michelle’s family, including her sister, brother and their mother Miss International 1979 Melanie Marquez cheered her on. She also has two other brothers who have been diagnosed within the autism spectrum.
Wearing Mark Bumgarner’s beaded black-and-nude gown with a draped skirt inspired by celebrated Filipino tattoo artist Whang Od during the event’s top 10, Michelle failed to advance any further, bowing out to delegates from Thailand, Puerto Rico, Australia, Colombia and Nicaragua.
Sheynnis, a fashion model, made history for her country, one of El Salvador’s tiny neighbors in Central America, for being the first Nicaraguan to win the title.
Meanwhile, pageant observers remain divided about Michelle’s rather unusual gown choice, praising it for its avant-garde design and color. Black, a preferred shade in high fashion, is considered by many as a rather risky choice in the world of beauty pageants where the default shades are usually gold, silver, white, blush and red.
Instead of choosing to stand out, certain beauty pageant afficionados wished that Michelle had opted for a “safer,” more conventional gown choice.
An exceptional speaker, Michelle, according to not a few pageant fans, would have excelled in the make-or-break question-and-answer portion round that the pageant’s top five and later top three finishers went through.
Unfortunately, whatever Michelle had to say, especially with regards to her chosen advocacy, which is autism, wasn’t heard on the Miss Universe stage.
Tipped to also run away with the crown and end her country’s 35-year Miss Universe titled drought, Thailand’s Anntonia Porsild, looking a bit wan on stage, had to settle for first runnerup, while Australia’s Moraya Wilson was adjudged second runner up.
But Michelle, a Psychology graduate from the De La Salle University and one PeopleAsia’s Women of Style and Substance 2023 awardees, didn’t go home empty-handed, as she was one of three gold winners in the Mourad-sponsored Voice of Change advocacy challenge.
The 28-year-old actress and entrepreneur also won the Spirit of Carnival award handed down by Carnival Cruises, one of Miss Universe’s major sponsors this year. She also garnered the most number of fan votes in an official online poll conducted by the Miss Universe Organization.
Despite the Philippines’ distance from El Salvador, the Filipino presence was very evident at Miss Universe in the persons of Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, one of this year’s backstage hosts, Filipino-American doctor Connie Mariano, and Miss Universe 2022 R’Bonney Gabriel of the United States, whose father was born and raised in the Philippines. Miss Universe 2016, Iris Mittenaere of France, who won the title in Manila, is also vocal about her fondness for Filipinos.
