‘Legacy’ beauty Ashley Subijano Montenegro heads to Egypt to make own mark
Miss Eco Philippines Ashley Subijano Montenegro/ARMIN P. ADINA
MANILA, Philippine s — Ashley Subijano Montenegro is on her way to carve an even more prominent mark for her own, away from her popular parents’ shadows, via an international pageant arena, the 2023 Miss Eco International competition in Egypt.
The daughter of 1994 Miss World semifinalist Cara Subijano and host-model Hans Montenegro is not only aiming for the third Miss Eco International crown for the Philippines, but also an historic back-to-back finish for the country in the global tilt’s history.
Reigning Miss Eco International is Kathleen Paton from the Philippines, while the first Filipino queen is Cynthia Thomalla, who was crowned in 2018. Montenegro is the first daughter of a national beauty queen to represent the Philippines in the said global competition.
Montenegro was initially set to represent the Philippines in the inaugural edition of the Miss Charm pageant in Vietnam in 2020. She was proclaimed Miss Charm Philippines in the 2019 Global Asian Model Philippines search, where another “legacy” candidate won, Mister Global Asian Model Philippines Joshua De Sequera, son of former Bb. Pilipinas Maja Marina Benipayo.
The Miss Charm pageant was sidetracked by the COVID-19 pandemic, and Montenegro was left waiting for updates from the international organization whether she will still be able to compete. But she had to abdicate her national title when she signed up for the 2022 Miss World Philippines pageant.
She was proclaimed Miss Eco Philippines in the Miss World Philippines pageant, and was given the task of securing a second consecutive victory for the country in the Miss Eco International pageant. She is one of the remaining titleholders from the national organization yet to see action abroad.
Miss Supranational Philippines Alison Black was in the Top 20 of the 2022 Miss Supranational pageant in Poland, while Beatriz Mclelland finished second in the 2022 Miss Eco Teen pageant in Egypt.
Reina Hispanoamericana Filipinas Ingrid Santamaria is scheduled to leave for Bolivia next month for the 2022 Reina Hispanoamericana pageant, that was postponed multiple times because of the unrest in the South American country.
Reigning Miss World Philippines Gwendolyne Fourniol, meanwhile, will compete in the 2023 Miss World pageant, which will be held in the United Arab Emirates for the first time in May.
The 2023 Miss Eco International coronation night will be held at the Triumph Luxury Hotel-Al Katameya in Egypt on March 17 (March 18 in Manila). EDV
