Jeanette Reyes wins as the new Miss Tourism Metropolitan International in Malaysia. (Photo by ARMIN P. ADINA)
MANILA, Philippines — Two Filipino contenders posted back-to-back victories for the country in separate international competitions held in neighboring Southeast Asian countries in the same evening on Saturday, Nov. 25.
RJ De Vera scored a second consecutive win for the Philippines in just the second edition of the Man Hot Star International contest held at the Sansuk Grand Hall of Bangsaen Heritage Hotel in Chon Buri, Thailand. He succeeded his Misters of Filipinas predecessor Jovy Bequillo who won in the global tilt’s inaugural search held last year.
Just hours after De Vera’s triumph, Mutya ng Pilipinas Jeanette Reyes inherited the Miss Tourism Metropolitan International crown from Filipino queen Angelica Pantaliano at the 2023 Miss Tourism International pageant held at the Sabah International Convention Centre in Sabah, Malaysia. The new queen was also proclaimed as Miss Southeast Asia Tourism Ambassadress.
Thailand, meanwhile, also scored back-to-back finishes when Tia Li Taveepanichpan inherited the top title of Miss Tourism International from her compatriot Suphatra Kliangprom who won in last year’s competition.
RJ De Vera (left) scores a second consecutive win for the Philippines in just the second edition of the Man Hot Star International in Thailand. (Photo by ARMIN ADINA / Contributor)
Another Filipino contender finished second in the 2023 Man Hot Star International competition, Kristzan Karlo Delos Santos, who represented the United States in the global tilt. He was also first runner-up in the 2022 Mister Grand International contest held in Trinidad and Tobago, where he represented the Philippines.
Three other queens were crowned at the 2023 Miss Tourism International pageant — Miss Tourism Queen of the Year International Emily Cossey from the United Kingdom, Miss Tourism Cosmopolitan International Jen Cheang Shi Hui from Malaysia, and Miss Tourism Global Karlee Davis from Australia
Mutya ng Pilipinas Jeanette Reyes wears her crown as the new Miss Tourism Metropolitan International. (Photo by ARMIN ADINA / Contributor)
Reyes’ accomplishment sustained the Mutya ng Pilipinas pageant’s target of scoring a grand slam this year, aiming to earn international titles from all of the representatives deployed in 2023. Before her, Annie Uson and Shannon Robinson were crowned Miss Chinese World and Miss Environment International, respectively.
The Philippines has also asserted its dominance in the Malaysia-based Miss Tourism International pageant, being the best-performing country with five top winners — Peachy Manzano in 2000, the late Rizzini Alexis Gomez in 2013, Angeli Dione Gomez in 2014, TV5 news anchor Jannie Loudette Alipo-on in 2017, and Cyrille Payumo in 2019.
Several other Mutya queens also scored subsidiary titles other than Reyes and Pantaliano. Glennifer Perido was also crowned Miss Tourism Metropolitan International in 2014, the same title the two recent queens received. Kapamilya actress and host Aya Fernandez was proclaimed Dreamgirl of the Year International in 2018, while A2Z News Director Barbie Salvador-Muhlach was hailed as Miss Tourism Cosmopolitan in 2010.