Reigning Miss World Philippines Gwendolyne Fourniol (left) and Miss World Philippines-Charity Cassandra Chan/ARMIN P. ADINA
MANILA, Philippines — This year’s Miss World Philippines batch is composed of diverse queens, and this only means they also have different life experiences, including how they celebrate Christmas with their respective families.
Reigning Miss World Philippines Gwendolyne Fourniol was born in France to a Filipino mother and a French father, and later moved to London, England, but has been visiting the Philippines too. Miss World Philippines-Charity Cassandra Bermeo Chan was born to a Chinese-Filipino family and is currently based in San Juan City.
The two shared with the Inquirer their thoughts for the holidays in an interview at the sidelines of the Christmas tree lighting program of a hotel in Pasig City on Wednesday, Nov. 16.
“I’ve always loved spending Christmas in the Philippines, and I always look forward to going to Bacolod. That’s where my lola (grandmother) is, and we call her Nanny,” Chan said.
The ballerina said she is also planning to celebrate the coming Christmas with her grandmother, who she has not seen “for quite some time now.”
The two queens also shared with the Inquirer that they might both fly to Bacolod for the holidays. “We’re not sure yet, but that’s what we want to do,” Chan said.
For her part, Fourniol shared about her experience in a multicultural household. “Seeing the French and Filipino Christmas sides, it has really been enlightening. And being able to spend it with both my families in the Philippines and France, I’m very, very grateful for that,” she said.
The two beauties also lauded the hotel’s decision to use trimmings from local artisans to build the tree and decorate the property, and tap the persons deprived of liberty at the San Juan City Jail to make lanterns.
Fourniol revealed that Miss World Philippines Organization Vice President Ryan Ros Calmante sought her help to make the Christmas tree lighting special. “Them doing it in such an efficient way, showing the Filipino culture, and me being able to wear Filipiniana, I’m very grateful. Who doesn’t want to showcase their culture and the beauty of the Philippines?” she said.
Chan shared that she has visited the San Juan City Jail for some events. “It’s very inspiring to showcase the Filipino heritage. Just having these inmates actually make it themselves, it gives them something to do and it gives them that Christmas spirit, which I think they need even more than we do now,” she said.
She has just relinquished her title as Miss Chinatown earlier this month. She won the crown in a virtual competition held in the first year of the pandemic, a contest she joined before entering the Miss World Philippines pageant.
Fourniol is in the heat of preparations for the 72nd Miss World pageant. The international organization was supposed to mount another edition this year, because the competition that culminated in Puerto Rico in March was the continuation of the 2021 pageant that was interrupted by a COVID-19 outbreak among the delegates in December last year.
But the Miss World Organization has not made any official announcement regarding the date and venue of the next competition as of this writing. EDV