Mutya Datul, Eva Patalinjug, Pauline Amelinckx, and, Christi McGarry. Images from Instagram, Armin P. Adina
Thirty-one ladies are competing in the 2024 Mutya ng Pilipinas pageant, the 56th anniversary of the national competition, which will culminate in a coronation at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan on Sept. 6.
There is more between Mutya Datul and the Mutya ng Pilipinas pageant other than sharing a name. She has competed in the national beauty contest before becoming the Philippines’ first Miss Supranational winner.
Datul took part in the 2012 Mutya ng Pilipinas pageant, where she finished in the Top 10. The year after, she joined the 50th edition of the Binibining Pilipinas pageant and received the Miss Supranational Philippines title.
Another Supranational beauty who is also a Mutya queen is Pauline Amelinckx, who was crowned as Mutya ng Pilipinas-Global Beauty Queen during the national pageant’s 50th anniversary celebration.
Amelinckx’s national crown earned for her a ticket to the Miss Global Beauty Queen pageant in Korea, but the international competition was discontinued that year.
Mutya titleholders have also crossed over to the Bb. Pilipinas pageant, after Datul’s triumphant quest in 2013.
Christi Lynn McGarry was crowned as the country’s representative to the Asia Pacific International in 2010. But the global pageant had not resumed that year, and she was instead sent to the Miss Intercontinental pageant, where she finished in the Top 15 and was also proclaimed as Continental Queen of Asia and Oceania.
Incidentally, she was crowned Bb. Pilipinas Intercontinental in 2015, and was sent to the same international competition. She finished higher and placed as first runner-up. She also joined the recent Miss Universe Philippines pageant and was proclaimed as fourth runner-up.
Catriona Gray had two Mutya ng Pilipinas titleholders in her 2018 Bb. Pilipinas batch–first runner-up Vicki Rushton and Bb. Pilipinas Grand International Eva Patalinjug.
Rushton won her Mutya crown in 2011, while Patalinjug got hers in 2014. Both of them were supposed to compete in the Miss Asia Pacific International pageant in their respective years, but no global competitions were held.