Reigning Miss International Jasmin Selberg and Bb. Pilipinas Nicole Borromeo. Images from /ARMIN P. ADINA
MANILA, Philippines — Organizers of the Miss International pageant has announced that the global beauty tilt’s 2023 edition will still be held in Japan, quelling speculations that it would be held in another country.
The Tokyo-based international competition also said that the pageant will no longer be held at the Tokyo Dome City Hall, where the most recent editions were staged. But it will not veer too far away because the new venue will just be a few minutes away from the previous location—the Yoyogi Gymnasium No. 2 in Shibuya, also in the Japanese capital of Tokyo.
Pageant organizers announced this on social media, and said the next edition, its 61st installment, will be held on Oct. 26, also a departure from the November schedule in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Last year’s competition was held in December.
“Don’t forget to support your delegate as we bring you the biggest and most exciting Miss International edition of all!” announced the Miss International pageant on Facebook.
“Together let’s make this year’s pageant as the most memorable Miss International edition in history,” the pageant said on Twitter.
The 61st Miss International Beauty Pageant 2023 will be held on October 26th at the Yoyogi Gymnasium No.2 in Shibuya, Tokyo! #MissInternational2023 is going to be an event you’ve never seen before! Who do you think will win? pic.twitter.com/RROw5jwgf1
— Miss International (@MissInterOrg) March 30, 2023
Stephen Diaz, the Filipino marketing manager of pageant organizer International Cultural Association (ICA) in Tokyo, told the Inquirer in an online interview that the organization is setting the limit to just 80 delegates this year. It is still three delegates shy of the record posted in the 2019 edition, but he said that haul was “unintentional.”
Last year’s competition, the 60th edition that attracted a total of 66 international delegates, was originally scheduled to take place in 2020. But the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the ICA from staging a contest that year, especially with the strict protocols implemented in Japan. The contest was again postponed in 2021.
Diaz earlier hinted that ICA received numerous proposals from countries signifying their intention to take part in the Miss International pageant. He also said the organization has been carefully reviewing the proposals to ascertain which countries will be allowed to participate in the 61st edition. Diaz also confirmed with the Inquirer that Lesotho will debut in this year’s pageant.
The 2023 delegates will compete for the crown currently held by reigning queen Jasmin Selberg, Germany’s third Miss International winner and the first European woman to capture the crown since 2008. The Philippines will be represented by Binibining Pilipinas Nicole Borromeo.
Six Filipino women have brought home the Miss International crown. Gemma Cruz won the title in 1964, making her the first global pageant winner from the Philippines. She was succeeded by Aurora Pijuan in 1970, Melanie Marquez in 1979, Precious Lara Quigaman in 2005, Bea Rose Santiago in 2013, and Kylie Verzosa in 2016. EDV