Cebuana queens cheer on Chantal Schmidt in her Miss Eco International quest

Miss Eco International Philippines Chantal Schmidt. Image: Facebook/The Miss Philippines

Chantal Schmidt hopes to add to the long list of Cebuana ladies who made their mark in the international pageant scene as she fights for the Miss Eco International crown in Egypt. And she has received an immense amount of support from her fellow queens from Cebu.

Former Miss World Philippines Tracy Maureen Perez, who finished in the Top 13 of the 2021 Miss World pageant, shared with INQUIRER.net her well wishes for Schmidt at the post-coronation dinner of the 2024 Limgas na Pangasinan pageant at the Sison Auditorium in Lingayen early morning on April 27.

“Good luck Chantal. You got this, pray, and please know that every Cebuano and every Filipino is right behind you, supporting you, because we all believe in you and your capabilities. And you’re our next Miss Eco queen. So bring home the crown,” she said.

Recently-crowned Universal Woman Maria Gigante also sent her love, and said, “you got this girl! My belief in Chantal falls nothing short of winning a crown. I always knew that someday Chantal would represent the Philippines in an international competition. I was surprised to find out it was [Miss] Eco [International]. But I think that obstacles are given to those who can handle it.”

Perez also expressed her concern for Schmidt, who was rushed to the hospital for vomiting before the crucial preliminary competition. The Filipino delegate survived her medical ordeal and was even able to bag the “Best in Evening Gown” award.

Gigante also added that Schmidt “knows her way around almost anything. At such a young age she’s been able to achieve so much and I’m sure she’s gonna make us proud.”

Miss World Philippines 2021 Tracy Maureen Perez (left) and reigning Universal Woman Maria Gigante/ARMIN P. ADINA

Perez and Gigante, both extraordinary Cebuano women, also attested to the province’s remarkable way of honing beauty queens, some of the more recent ones include 2021 Miss Universe Top 5 finisher Beatrice Luigi Gomez, 2019 Miss Universe semifinalist Gazini Ganados, and 2023 Miss International third runner-up Nicole Borromeo.

“I think it boils down to training. Cebu is such a powerhouse in Philippine pageantry. They train girls at such a young age, which is great because we have a strong foundation. We have a lot of creatives that really help the girls. And I think that really makes a lot of difference especially when they’re being sent here in the nationals, they have all the support that they can get and every girl needs that,” Perez said.

Gigante dug even deeper, and said, “one observation I had growing up was that Cebuano families are a very matriarchal community. We look to our mothers for advice. They’re the decision makers in our home. And I think that’s the foundation of what makes such strong women and also such strong competitors for beauty pageants and very good representatives for Cebu.”

Schmidt is fighting for the Philippines’ third victory in the Miss Eco International pageant, following Cynthia Thomalla in 2018 and Kathleen Paton in 2022. The global tilt will crown its new queen in Egypt on April 28 (April 29 in Manila).