Reina Hispanoamericana Filipinas Michelle Arceo. Image: INQUIRER.net/Armin P. Adina
MANILA, Philippines—The Reina Hispanoamericana pageant has just announced its schedule for the 2023 competition, but the delegates would have to wait a little longer because the new queen will be crowned in 2024.
But the ladies do not need to spend a full year just waiting. The Bolivian organizer, Promociones Gloria, said the 2023 Reina Hispanoamericana pageant will hold its coronation show on Jan. 28 , 2024 (Jan. 29 in Manila) in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
The international competition was founded in 1991 as “Reina Sudamerica” (South American Queen), and was open to the 10 countries in South America until 2003. It expanded its reach to Central America in 2004, then invited delegates from the Caribbean in 2006, when Spain also took part.
It was rebranded as Reina Hispanoamericana in 2007 when the first participants from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and the United States were accepted. The international competition invited countries with Hispanic influences to participate.
The Philippines scored its first victory in the Latin-dominated competition in 2017, also the first time it sent a participant, actress Teresita Ssen “Winwyn” Marquez, daughter of pro cager and actor Joey Maquez, niece of 1979 Miss International Melanie Marquez, and cousin of reigning Miss Universe Philippines Michelle Marquez Dee.
The Filipino queen was sent by the Miss World Philippines organization, and was the first delegate to be fielded by talent manager Arnold L. Vegafria when he took over the reins of the organization as national director. In the first year of his tenure, he scored two other first-time victories for the country, courtesy of 2018 Miss Eco International Cynthia Thomalla and 2018 Miss Multinational Sophia Senoron.
Since Marquez’s Reina HIspanoamericana victory, two other Filipino women posted podium finishes. Katrina Llegado was quinta finalistsa (fifth runner-up) in 2019, while Emmanuelle Vera was tercera finalista (third runner-up) in 2021.
This year, Vegafria moved the selection of the country’s Reina Hispanoamericana delegate to his new national pageant, the Miss Grand Philippines competition that crowned its winners on July 13 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Pageant veteran Michelle Arceo from Quezon City was proclaimed Reina Hispanoamericana Filipinas in the national pageant, with Nikki De Moura taking home the top title of Miss Grand Philippines. A third global delegate was chosen, Miss Eco Teen Philippines Francine Reyes, who will compete in the Miss Eco Teen International contest in Egypt.
Arceo’s pageant journey has been with Vegafria’s ALV Pageant Circle. She first joined the 2019 Miss World Philippines pageant alongside Dee, who bagged the top title, and Llegado. She finished in the Top 12. She returned in 2021 and captured the Miss Environment Philippines crown.
She represented the Philippines in the inaugural edition of the Miss Environment International pageant in India in 2022, and received the title “Miss Ecosystem” for finishing second in the competition. She will try to place higher for her second global contest and become the second Filipino woman to be proclaimed Reina Hispanoamericana. /ra