Brazil scores first Miss Grand International win; Bb. Pilipinas Roberta Tamondong in the Top 20
Newly-crowned Miss Grand International Isabella Menin/MISS GRAND INTERNATIONAL FACEBOOK PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Isabella Menin gave Brazil its first Miss Grand International victory in the pageant’s 10th edition staged at the Sentul International Convention Center in Bogor Regency, West Java, Indonesia, on Oct. 25.
She bested 67 other delegates from around the world to inherit the crown from last year’s winner, Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien from Vietnam.
Settling for the first runner-up spot was Engfa Waraha from Thailand, while host delegate Andina Julie was second runner-up.
Luiseth Materan from Venezuela and Mariana Beckova from Czech Republic were third and fourth runners-up, respectively.
Binibining Pilipinas Roberta Tamondong from San Pablo City in Laguna finished in the Top 20. She is a veteran of national and international pageant who is the first and so far only Filipino woman to win the Miss Eco Teen International crown. She won it in the competition staged in Egypt in 2020.
The Bangkok-based international pageant was established in 2013 by Thai entrepreneur Nawat Itsaragrisil on the platform of peace, with the tagline “stop the war.”
Bb. Pilipinas Roberta Tamondong
Puerto Rico’s Oxana Rivera, who finished in the Top 10, took advantage of her moment during the speech segment to deliver a message for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who launched an attack on neighboring Ukraine that is still ongoing right now. She delivered the first part of her speech in English, but transitioned to Russian as she gave her message to the strongman.
Rivera and the other ladies in the Top 10 who did not advance to the Top 5 were all proclaimed fifth runners-up.
For the final round of questioning, thew Top 5 were also asked to deliver their respective messages for Putin.
No Filipino woman has ever won the Miss Grand International crown. The highest placement for the country were the first runner-up finishes of Nicole Cordoves in 2016 and Samantha Bernardo in 2020. EDV
