Mariel De Leon. Image: Instagram/@mariaangelicadl
Philippine bet Maria Angelica “Mariel” De Leon holds no regrets despite losing the Miss International 2017 crown.
Held last Nov. 14 in Tokyo, Japan, De Leon failed to clinch a spot into the top 15.
However, the young beauty queen feels no regret, as she considers her whole journey an unforgettable experience.
Much as she never even thought she would have the chance to represent the country in the global stage, she feels thankful for the love of her fans.
She gave her heartfelt gratitude to her supporters through a recent Instagram post.
“Thank you to my mentors for guiding me and supporting me since 2013. Thank you to my family and close friends for loving me sooo much and for being my rock(s),” she wrote.
She also gave herself a pat on the back for a fight well-fought.
“I’m so proud of how far I’ve come, how hard I fought and how much I grew & transformed! Strong, empowered, and brave is the new sexy. I still have my Miss International Philippines crown and now I can push my limits even more as to what else I can achieve and give to my fellow Filipinos!” she wrote.
Delegates from countries such as Curacao, Venezuela, Slovakia, United Kingdom, Ghana, Honduras, Japan, Ecuador, Finland, Laos, Indonesia, Panama, Thailand, Australia and South Africa all advanced to the top 15.
Kevin Lilliana of Indonesia was hailed Miss International 2017.
Although the Philippine representative did not win, Filipinos still holds pride as Lilliana was trained under one of the country’s leading pageant camps, Kagandahang Flores.
Fourth runner-up Natsuki Tsutsui of Japan was also trained under the said camp. JB
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