Reigning Miss Global Shane Tormes. Image: INQUIRER.net/ARMIN P. ADINA
MANILA, Philippines—Shane Tormes gave the Philippines its first Miss Global victory last year, and yet the veteran beauty queen cannot wait to give up her international crown. However, it does not mean she wants to rid herself of the title. She said she is excited for the upcoming competition and is looking forward to meeting her successor.
“This year it’s gonna be in Vietnam, in Ho Chi Minh City in June. I have no idea how many candidates there will be, but 15,000 will be watching the event. This is our 10th anniversary. So it’s gonna be so big,” Tormes told the Inquirer at the sidelines of her judging stint at the first-ever Lueur Lauren Calendar Girl search held at the SM Skydome in Quezon City on Jan. 31.
Tormes already went to Ho Chi Minh late last year to witness the pageant organization’s official announcement naming Vietnam as the host country for the 2023 Miss Global pageant. There, a new crown was also unveiled. “It’s gonna be called the ‘Phoenix Crown,’ so there are red stones. Red means hope and strength,” Tormes shared.
With the new crown, Tormes said the Miss Global pageant will look for “someone who is optimistic and very courageous” to inherit the title from her. “I wonder who the next Miss Global will be? I don’t know, I’m just excited to know who that girl is,” she said.
The reigning queen has been replete with responsibilities under the Miss Global organization. Aside from Vietnam, Tormes also flew to Malaysia to fulfill several obligations as a titleholder. But the most memorable for her, she said, was singing at the Harper’s Bazaar event in Ho Chi Minh in front of a huge crowd.
“There were so many A-list celebrities, fashion designers and models who actually attended that event. It was intimidating, but I was happy because I got to meet many of them for the first time there,” Tormes shared.
But being from the Philippines, the queen was burdened with the impression many other peoples have about the country being home to great singers. “I think I did well, based on their impression of my singing. The Italian version of ‘Time to Say Goodbye’ was actually a challenging thing, but I was happy I was able to sing it well,” she said.
Tormes said several trips are still lined up for her, including another one to Vietnam for some promotional shoots and videos. “I’m busy and I’m happy for the opportunities that the Miss Global organization and Miss Global Philippines are giving me,” she said.
She also teased that we will soon find out who will represent the Philippines next at the Miss Global pageant. “Who knows, we might get back-to-back this June? I’m really praying for that,” Tormes said. /ra