Hopes are high for Megan Young

MEGAN Lynne Young moves closer in her quest to win elusive title.

Will the Philippines score back-to-back victories in international pageants this month?

Only a few weeks after Mutya Johanna Datul became the first Asian winner of the Miss Supranational contest in Belarus, Megan Lynne Young is now being considered a likely winner in her quest to become the country’s first Miss World.

No Filipino woman has topped the 63-year-old, London-based pageant, but Young seems to be moving closer to the elusive title, judging from her strong performance in the early rounds of the contest ongoing in Indonesia.

The Filipino-American actress has made it to the “Dances of the World” segment, set to be shown in the coronation night show on Sept. 28. Young’s performance was based on the Mindanao royalty dance called singkil.

Controversial

She landed in the Top 11 of the “Beach Beauty” competition, earning her a slot in the photo shoot special to be shown on coronation night, too.

Regarded as a controversial event in the predominantly Islamic country, “Beach Beauty” is one of the pageant’s “fast-track” competitions: Contestants earn points to help them advance to the semifinals.

Previous Miss World Philippines titleholders have done well in this segment—like French-Filipino Gwendoline Ruais (who finished second in 2011) and Pakistani-Filipino Queneerich Rehman (a semifinalist in 2012).

Young failed to score points in the “Sports Challenge,” but she is expected to perform well in the “Top Model” and “World’s Fashion Designer” competitions. Results have not been released at press time.

She may also increase her chances if she makes the short list in the crucial “Beauty with a Purpose” tilt.

Although results were not yet out at press time, reigning Mister World Francisco Escobar of Colombia earlier congratulated Young and several other ladies via his Twitter account, as

GWENDOLINE Ruais was runner-up in Miss World 2011.

finalists in this segment.

Additional points will be given to the ladies who will figure in the public voting. Fans from all over the world may log in their votes through the Miss World app for smartphones.

Those who would like to support Young through public voting may download the Miss World app through the Google Play or Android App stores.

Encouragement

Before Young left for Indonesia, Miss World Philippines organizer Cory Quirino told the press that Miss World owner Julia Morley had sent a letter, congratulating her “for a very lovely Miss World Philippines!”

Quirino said she was “encouraged” by Morley’s message. “I had the same feeling about Gwendoline [in 2011] but this time it is stronger [for Young],” she told the  Inquirer .

Meanwhile, protests by Islamic groups have pushed organizers to move the venue from Sentul International Convention Center near Jakarta to Nua Dusa Convention Center in Bali.

GMA 7 will air a delayed telecast at 10 p.m.

Photos by RICHARD REYES