Forty delegates from around the world are now in the country. —photos by RICHARD A. REYES
The oldest international beauty contest in Asia is back after a decade-long hiatus, returning to its roots to jumpstart its reemergence.
Forty delegates from around the world are now in the country to take part in the revival edition of the Miss Asia Pacific International, which culminates in Puerto Princesa City on Nov. 23.
The last time it was held was in 2005 in China, with Leonor Jimenez-Monge of Costa Rica as the winner. Jeddah Hernandez of the Philippines placed fifth.
Mutya ng Pilipinas Inc. President Jacqueline Tan-Sainz said the organization has been mulling over reviving the global tilt since her family acquired the twin pageants Mutya ng Pilipinas and Miss Asia Pacific International in 2011, but decided to focus on the national contest first.
“We were just new in the industry when we acquired the pageants, and taking on an international contest was such a huge task for us at the time,” she told the Inquirer.
“This year, we feel that we’re prepared to revive the pageant, and to bring it back to its former glory as the most prestigious international contest in Asia.”
PH’s Ganiel Akrisha Krishnan
The global tilt was first established as the Miss Asia Quest in 1968. It invited participants from the Pacific territories in 1984 and became known as the Miss Asia Pacific Quest.
It further expanded and accepted delegates from countries beyond the Asia-Pacific borders and was renamed the Miss Asia Pacific International pageant.
Sainz also said that the group decided to launch the pageant’s revival in the Philippines first, before it goes overseas again. South Korea will host the 2017 edition.
Among this year’s candidates are representatives from countries that rarely participate in beauty contests, such as Iraq, Burma (Myanmar) and South Sudan, the world’s youngest country.
The Philippines is represented by Mutya ng Pilipinas Ganiel Akrisha Krishnan, a sportscaster for ABS-CBN’s S+A channel. Krishnan, 22, was the runaway winner in the national pageant last July, bagging the lion’s share of special awards.
Four Filipinos have already won the Miss Asia Pacific title—Inez Zaragoza (1982), Bong Dimayacyac (1983), Lorna Legaspi (1980) and Michelle Aldana (1993).