The Miss Philippines-Asia Pacific International Blessa Figueroa. Image: INQUIRER.net/Armin P. Adina
The Philippines is the most successful Asian country in global pageantry, reaping titles from various contests throughout the decades, and even becoming the most successful nation in several competitions including the Miss Asia Pacific International pageant.
Bless Figueroa, the Philippines’ representative in the global tilt’s “comeback edition” this year, shared her thoughts on why the country has collected the most crowns in the 56-year-old international competition, with five winners to date.
“I think we embody the Miss Asia Pacific International pageant’s core values. They value beauty in diversity. And I think, being a Filipina, we are all over the world, and we embody all cultures,” she told INQUIRER.net on the sidelines of her send-off press conference held at Empire Studios at the Estancia Mall in Pasig City last month.
“When people ask you, what’s a Filipino? We are an embodiment of all cultures, like, we are from Spain, we are from Asia, we are everywhere. So I think that’s one of the main reasons, because we have the core values that they hold,” continued the California-based full-blooded Filipino contender.
The Philippines, however, was a “slow-burner” in the Manila-based global tilt, and did not become a powerhouse early on. The country posted its first victory only in the contest’s 16th edition held in 1982, through Maria Del Carmen Inez Zaragoza.
The country scored a second consecutive win in 1983 with Gloria Dimayacyac, followed by the Philippines’ third victory in 1989 courtesy of Lorna Legaspi. The fourth Filipino queen is Michelle Aldana, who won in 1994.
And a few years after the global tilt resumed from a decade-long hiatus in 2016, the Philippines recorded its fifth victory in Sharifa Areef Mohammad Omar Akeel during the pageant’s 50th anniversary edition in 2018.
The international pageant last held a competition in 2019, and did not mount any contest in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The break extended in 2022 and 2023, and Figueroa has mixed feelings about taking part in the “comeback edition.”
“There is definitely some pressure there, but I am honored that I am representing the Philippines after four years. And I can’t describe it any more than excitement and gratefulness,” she shared.
Figueroa is the Philippines’ first Miss Asia Pacific International delegate not to come from the Mutya ng Pilipinas pageant. She was a finalist in the first staging of The Miss Philippines Culture and Heritage Celebration in October last year, and received her global assignment in February.
As a seasoned pageant girl who has competed in both the United States and the Philippines, Figueroa finds that such competitions are still relevant in a time where nations are gripped by wars, famine, calamities and other problems.
“Pageantry plays a big role in these aspects, because we have a platform to be able to speak up on them, like, right now I’m able to speak up about the wars, the famine. And I know that it is not in my power to solve a lot, but I can bring up the topic, educate people, and spread awareness,” she explained.
“I think that’s one of the main roles of being a beauty queen. You’re spreading awareness and educating people about these topics, so that more people are educated about it, and more change can happen. I think big changes are made up of small ones. And just spreading the information is already having a big change about that,” Figueroa added.
She and her fellow delegates in the 2024 Miss Asia Pacific International pageant will face a crucial stage of the contest soon, with the preliminary competition taking place at Lanson Place Mall of Asia in Pasay City on Thusday afternoon, Oct. 3.
The 2024 Miss Asia Pacific International coronation night will be held at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Pasay City on Monday night, Oct. 7. Thirty-three delegates from around the world are competing for the crown currently held by Cheyenne Huisman from Spain.