Mutya ng Pilipinas Iona Gibbs (left) welcomes reigning Miss Intercontinental Le Nguyen Bao Ngoc to the Philippines; Mutya ng Pilipinas-Tourism International Jeanette Reyes. Image: Facebook/Mutya ng Pilipinas
The Mutya ng Pilipinas pageant has already scored two international crowns from the first two queens it deployed this year, and the national organization hopes to record a grand slam in 2023 through the delegates it will send to two more global tilts.
The pageant’s president, Cory Quirino, led the send-off party for Miss Tourism International bet Jeanette Reyes and Miss Intercontinental delegate Iona Gibbs at the CWC Showroom at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City on Nov. 9.
The two queens are aiming to sustain the national organization’s win tally for 2023, after the victories of Miss Environment International Shannon Robinson and Miss Chinese International Annie Uson earlier this year.
Reyes will attempt a sixth victory for the country in the Malaysia-based Miss Tourism International pageant, after Peachy Manzano in 2000, the late Rizzini Alexis Gomez in 2012, Angeli Dione Gomez in 2013, Jannie Alipo-on in 2017, and Cyrille Payumo in 2019.
The 2023 Miss Tourism International pageant will hold its coronation night in Sabah, Malaysia, on Nov. 25.
Gibbs, meanwhile, has welcomed to the country reigning Miss Intercontinental Le Nguyen Bao Ngoc, whose crown she hopes to inherit.
The Filipino beauty is targeting to score the Mutya ng Pilipinas pageant’s first victory in the Miss Intercontinental pageant, and the third for the country.
Previous Filipino winners Karen Gallman (2018) and Cinderella Faye Obeñita (2021) were sent by the Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc., which held the franchise from 2014 to 2022.
Mutya ng Pilipinas reacquired the license this year, and is fielding Gibbs, who topped the national pageant last year.
The 2023 Miss Intercontinental pageant will hold its coronation show in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, on Dec. 18.
Another Mutya ng Pilipinas queen, Arianna Padrid, will represent the Philippines in the World Top Model competition in December, giving the national organization a fifth title to aim for this year.