Mrs. Philippines Global Universe Ma. Glovel Castillo Marfila-Tasico (left) and Miss Philippines Global Universe Jhan Nicole Ambata/MITZY GO-GIL FACEBOOK PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Two Filipino contenders are aiming to record the country’s first victories in the Mrs. and Miss Global Universe pageants.
Ma. Glovel Castillo Marfila-Tasico is representing the Philippines in the Mrs. Global Universe pageant, while Jhan Nicole Ambata is competing in the Miss Global Universe contest. They were sent by the Queen of Hearts Foundation Inc.
The competitions, organized by Singapore-based Lumiere International Pageantry, is currently happening simultaneously in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. No Filipino aspirant has ever captured the top prize in both contests, to date.
Organizer Justina Quek told the Inquirer in an earlier interview in Manila that the organization opted to hold the two pageants together only this year, the contest’s first edition since the COVID-19 pandemic broke. Previous editions were held separately.
No competitions in both the Mrs. and Miss pageants were held in 2020, 2021, and 2022 because of the global health crisis that prompted the closure of borders to international travel.
Tasico was initially crowned as Mrs. Philippines Asia Pacific Intercontinental at the 2020 Mrs. Queen of Hearts Philippines pageant. She was originally supposed to compete at the Mrs. Asia Pacific contest, but a reshuffling of titles in 2021 gave her the national title Mrs. Philippines Global Universe and a new international assignment.
Ambata, meanwhile, was recently appointed by Queen of Hearts Foundation President Mitzy Go-Gil as the country’s representative in the 2023 Miss Global Universe pageant.
The 2023 Miss and Mrs. Global Universe pageants’ coronation ceremony will be held at the Forest City Golf Resort, Johor Bahru, Malaysia, on May 21. EDV