Shyrla Nuñez (left) will represent the Philippines while Aileen Santiago will compete for UAE at the 2023 Miss Supermodel Worldwide contest./ARMIN P. ADINA
MANILA, Philippines — Shyrla Nuñez earned the right to represent the country in the 2023 Miss Supermodel Worldwide pageant when she was proclaimed Miss Supermodel Philippines in a national competition held last month. Now her first runner-up Aileen Santiago will be joining the international contest as well.
The two ladies flew to India for the international competition on April 6 together with another Filipino beauty, Alexandra Mae Rosales, the reigning Miss Supermodel Worldwide and the first-ever winner from the Philippines.
But while Nuñez will be carrying the country’s colors in the international modeling pageant, Santiago will be representing the United Arab Emirates in the India tilt. Sam Sapo from the Philippine national organization said UAE national director Laura Quizon made the decision to appoint Santiago as her delegate to the global contest.
Nuñez, a dentist from Caloocan City, edged out 14 other aspirants for the national title in a competition held at the Pandanggo-Polkabal Hall of the Manila Hotel in Manila on March 6. She also received the Best in Filipiniana and Miss Congeniality awards, and was one of the three “Print Supermodels.” Nuñez was also one of the three candidates voted by members of the local media as “Press Supermodels,” along with Santiago and second runner-up Querubin Gonzalez from Marinduque.
Santiago, who represented Cabanatuan in the national competition, was also proclaimed as the “Face of Velvet Media” for finishing in second place. She also topped both major segments of the competition and received the “Body Supermodel” and “Beauty Supermodel” awards. She also received the “Charity Supermodel” and “Popularity Supermodel” awards, and was one of the five ladies chosen as “Faces of Aurea Aesthetic and Wellness.”
May Evelyn Maghirang, the contest’s national director, told the Inquirer in an earlier interview that they were looking for “a strong follow up” to Rosales who can win the international title for the Philippines for the second year in a row.
Rosales is a pageant veteran who was first runner-up in the 2015 Miss Southeast Asia Ambassadress contest, and a candidate of the 2021 Binibining Pilipinas pageant. She became the first Filipino contestant to capture the Miss Supermodel Worldwide title in the international contest’s 2022 edition held last October.
She is set to crown her Miss Supermodel Worldwide successor on April 15. And although having a truncated reign, the Filipino queen’s contract with the international organization will still take effect for two years. EDV