Avant-garde pantsuit or couture gown? The Miss Philippines gives bets choice for formal wear segment
Pauline Amelinckx’s The Miss Philippines successor will be chosen from a groundbreaking competition./THE MISS PHILIPPINES FACEBOOK PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — When The Miss Philippines Culture and Heritage Celebration was launched in June, then newly-proclaimed Miss Supranational Philippines Pauline Amelinckx and Miss Charm Philippines Krishnah Gravidez expounded on how different it will be from all the national competitions.
Back then, the two queens explained the rationale behind the competition’s decision to do away with the swimsuit competition, which is a staple in almost all beauty contests. And now the organizers have announced more changes that will set The Miss Philippines apart from the other tilts even more.
Aside from the scrapping of the swimsuit segment, the national competition will also implement changes to the traditional ways of conducting the evening gown segment and the question-and-answer portion, the organizers mentioned on social media.
“The Miss Philippines is reinventing pageantry to come up with an event unlike any other. Here’s to a unique way of gathering beautiful [Filipino women] around the world,” the social media post said.
For the formal wear competition, The Miss Philippines will give the candidates their own red carpet moment, similar to what celebrities experience at the Cannes Film Festival and other similar occasions graced by international personalities.
Candidates have the choice to wear what they deem is their best formal wear, whether it’s an avant-garde tailored pantsuit or a couture gown, another first in Philippine pageantry.
The crucial, and often grueling, question-and-answer portion will be conducted differently. The candidates will be provided the platform on the competition stage in a format similar to how Ted Talks is done. The Miss Philippines will also put greater emphasis “on how the ladies will promote the Philippines to the world.”
Amelinckx, who became the first The Miss Philippines queen when Miss Universe Philippines National Director Shamcey Supsup-Lee bestowed on her the title after she finished second in the 2023 Miss Supranational pageant, will crown the new queen in October. The eventual winner will be given the chance to choose whether to compete in the Miss Supranational competition or the Miss Charm contest.
Screenings for The Miss Philippines applicants will be held for two more days, on Sept. 2 and 9, at the Enderun Coworking Estancia at the South Wing of Estancia Mall in Pasig City, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Applicants must be single, and between 18 and 32 years old.
Applications for the affiliate national male competition, Mister Pilipinas Worldwide, will also be conducted on the same dates and in the same venue. The male contest will do away with “formal interviews, speeches, and traditional question-and-answer segment,” another social media post stated. “Mister Pilipinas Worldwide is looking for the next influencer or male top model. Whether you are new to the industry or a working model, you are welcome to join,” it added.
The male contest is open to Filipino citizens between 18 and 35 years old who are not shorter than 5’8” in height. Winners will be sent to some of the most prestigious international pageants for men, such as Mister Supranational, Manhunt International Male Supermodel, and Mister Global. For more information about the screenings and for other inquiries, visit the two competitions’ official social media accounts, or send an e-mail to [email protected].
The two national competitions will serve as back-to-back culminating events for the first-ever The Filipino Festival, a month-long celebration of the country’s culture and heritage through “The Filipino Food Fest,” “The Filipino Arts and Crafts Fest,” “The Filipino Music Fest,” “The Filipino Fashion Fest,” and “The Filipino Film Fest.”
Fashion designers, filmmakers, musicians, culinary enthusiasts, and merchants of Filipino-made products who are interested in taking part in The Filipino Festival’s various activities may visit its official social media pages, or contact Empire Philippines by sending an e-mail at [email protected]. EDV
