Hiyas ng Pilipinas-Miss Tourism World Philippines Marela Glospeah Juaman (center), Miss Elite Philippines Ysabel Macuja (left), and Miss Continental World Philippines Rona Lalaine Lopez/ARMIN P. ADINA
Mindanao scored a back-to-back win in the 2024 Hiyas ng Pilipinas pageant when Koronadal City’s Marela Glospeah Juaman inherited the crown from last year’s winner Fatima Kate Bisan who hails from Sarangani.
Juaman bested 44 other aspirants at the grand coronation show held at the SM North Edsa Skydome in Quezon City on Sunday night, Oct. 13, to receive the title from Bisan, “Inday Fatima” in the daily afternoon variety show “Wil to Win.”
Earlier in the competition, Juaman was proclaimed as Best in “Journey to the Crown” Challenge and Best Advocacy Video, with both citations coming with a guaranteed Top 20 slot.
As the grand winner of the Hiyas ng Pilipinas pageant, Juaman also earned the title Miss Tourism World Philippines, and is set to represent the country in the Miss Tourism World competition.
Bisan has yet to compete in the international pageant as the organizers have yet to announce details of the next competition. The last time a contest was mounted was in 2022, with Filipino bet Justine Felizarta finishing second.
Two more titles were bestowed in the competition, both going to national pageant veterans. First runner-up Ysabel Macuja from Makati City was crowned as Miss Elite Philippines, while second runner-up Rona Lalaine Lopez from Pangasinan was proclaimed as Miss Continental World Philippines.
Macuja, “Best in Swimsuit” winner who represented Manila in the recent Miss Universe Philippines pageant in May, will try to post a second consecutive win for the country in the Miss Elite contest next year. Juvyel Anne Saluta became the first Filipino winner in the global tilt’s recent edition held in Egypt last month.
Lopez, a semifinalist in the 2023 Miss Grand Philippines pageant, will compete in the Miss Continental World contest where Saluta was originally set to participate in.
Another national pageant veteran posted a podium finish, Miss Philippines Earth alumna Jasmine Paguio from Manila who was proclaimed as third runner-up. She was also the Best in Evening Gown.
Josiella Mae Lagrimas from Laoang, Northern Samar, rounded up the winners’ circle as fourth runner-up.
This is the first staging of the Hiyas ng Pilipinas pageant in Manila. The two previous editions were both held in Cebu. The most recent coronation show also accomplished what other national competitions have failed to do–it started on time, and was finished in under three hours.
It also invited three international pageant organizers to join the judging panel–Miss Intercontinental CEO Detlef Tursies, Miss Elite CEO Stefano Douaihy, and Miss Tourism World CEO John Singh–a first for any competition.