Michelle Dee on #PorDee shippers: Mission accomplished

In the world of pageants, Filipino and Thai fans are known to be fiercely competitive or protective of their respective queens. And it’s not out of the ordinary to see the two bases engaging in good-natured ribbing or full-blown arguments on social media.

Things weren’t any different in the lead-up to the recently concluded Miss Universe 2023 with the Thais rallying behind their bet, Anntonia Porsild, and the Filipinos, behind Michelle Dee. While they were initially perceived as each other’s biggest competition, they ended up becoming good friends.

And seeing Michelle and Anntonia’s bond blossom through their heartwarming pageant interactions and spontaneous hilarious Instagram live videos, the Filipino and Thai fandoms have become seemingly united in supporting or “shipping” the two women, whom they fondly call “#PorDee.”

“I would say it’s mission accomplished!” Michelle said when asked by the Inquirer about the said subject at a recent homecoming media conference hosted by Sparkle GMA Artist Center. “Anntonia and I weren’t really able to converse too much at the start of the contest, because we didn’t have the chance to. We were assigned to different areas … But ayun nga, the fans had been fighting.”

The first photo they took together, Michelle said, was to show that they were cool with each other.

“Bati kami … And if we’re good, then our fans should also unite, or at least be more respectful toward each other. Of course, we’re from pageant powerhouse countries, so the Thai and Filipino fans are very vocal. So, the fact that we were able to unite and show a good example in terms of loving and respecting everyone around you is good,” she pointed out.

Working together“I think we accomplished that because I feel like the Thai and Filipino fans have never been closer,” added Michelle, who finished in the Top 10. “We really feel their love.”

Michelle’s and Anntonia’s wholesome chemistry and personalities really shone through in their Instagram Live sessions, so much so that not a few fans started thinking that the two women could probably do a show or a project together.

“Of course, that would be very, very exciting. We have already expressed that if anything comes up, we would fly wherever we need to in order to make that happen,” said Michelle, who was seen consoling Anntonia onstage after the latter narrowly missed out on the crown and finished first runner-up.

‘An exciting inquiry’

Michelle hinted at “an exciting inquiry” she and Anntonia got before leaving Miss Universe 2023’s host country El Salvador. But while she left it at that, she did share with the press that she would be flying to Thailand for the turnover of Anntonia’s crown and vice versa.

“The thing about us is that we have similar mindsets and outlooks in life. If an opportunity presents itself, I’m sure she will take it into consideration … We have talked about it and both of us are very excited, especially with the inquiry that we got before we went home,” she said.

While she failed to bring home the crown, Michelle left El Salvador with precious friendships that she intends to keep. Aside from Anntonia, Michelle also grew close with her roommate, Miss Indonesia, Fabiënne Groeneveld; Miss Mexico, Melissa Flores Godinez; and Miss Nicaragua, Sheynnis Palacios, who was crowned winner.

“It’s the relationship that you build. You meet a lot of people who share the same passion and purpose to really create a better world and build a platform to inspire everyone to be better” said Michelle, who won four special awards, including one of the three gold medals in the Voice for Change competition, where she championed autism awareness.

“I was surrounded by 85 empowered, gorgeous women. And a lot of us are friends and have maintained communication,” Michelle said. INQ