Miss Supranational Philippines 2023 Pauline Amelinckx/Image: Screenshot from Miss Supranational YouTube channel
MANILA, Philippines—Pauline Amelinckx is finally wearing a sash that reads “Philippines,” after several attempts to represent the country in an international pageant. She displayed her sash at the opening ceremony of the 2023 Miss Supranational pageant at the Czarny Potok Resort and Spa in Malopolska, Poland, on June 27 (June 28 in Manila).
“Mabuhay and maajung gabi. I am Pauline Cucharo Amelinckx, proudly representing the beautiful archipelago of the Philippines,” the Belgian-Filipino model and host from Bohol said when she introduced herself, wearing a hot-pink, floor-length gown with long sleeves, extended shoulders and peek-a-boo cutouts around the waist.
“I am a self-love advocate. I have experienced and I’m still constantly overcoming body shaming. But that didn’t stop me from finally being able to represent the Philippines. And now I stand here tall and proud with a message for all of you: Regardless of external voices, you’re always enough, and you’re always worthy of love. Daghang salamat,” she continued.
Amelinckx’s journey to finally representing the Philippines in an international competition was a long and arduous one. She represented Bohol in the 50th anniversary edition of the Mutya ng Pilipinas pageant in 2018, and captured one of the titles that would have sent her to a global tilt.
She was supposed to represent the Philippines in the 2019 Global Beauty Queen pageant, but the organizers in Korea discontinued the competition, and she finished her reign as a Mutya titleholder without ever seeing action abroad.
In 2020, she joined the Miss Universe Philippines pageant, in the first edition of the standalone national contest that chooses the country’s representative in the Miss Universe competition, and finished fourth. She returned for another shot at the crown in 2022, and almost made it to the top. She finished a notch higher than in her first attempt and was proclaimed Miss Universe Philippines-Charity.
Amelinckx made her final bid for the national title this year, and was considered as one of the frontrunners in the competition. She amassed the lion’s share of special awards during the preliminary competition but again fell short for the main title as Miss Universe Philippines. Her fellow returnee and former Miss World Philippines titleholder Michelle Dee got the crown.
The organizers of the national competition bestowed additional titles after the pageant’s staging and proclaimed Amelinckx as Miss Supranational Philippines in a separate program. Krishnah Gravidez, who also finished in the Top 3, was crowned as Miss Charm Philippines.
Amelinckx will try to give the Philippines its second Miss Supranational victory, 10 years after Mutya Johanna Datul became the first Filipino to capture the crown in 2013.
The 2023 Miss Supranational pageant will hold its final competition at the Strzelecki Park Amphitheater in Nowy Sacz, Poland, on July 14 (July 15 in Manila). Sixty-eight delegates are competing for the title currently held by Lalela Mswane, the first winner from South Africa. /ra