Teresita Ssen “Winwyn” Marquez after she was revealed as Miss Universe Philippines – Muntinlupa 2025 in a sashing ceremony. Image: Instagram/@michelledee
Being part of the Miss Universe Philippines 2025 tilt is already a win for Teresita Ssen “Winwyn” Marquez, who is set to represent Muntinlupa at the already-stacked national tilt.
On her Instagram page on Sunday, February 9, Marquez admitted that she still had her “what-ifs” in pageantry, although she clarified that being a mother is the “most beautiful role of [her] life.”
“It has been 10 years since I first stepped onto a pageant stage, eight years since I became Miss Filipinas and lived a dream I worked so hard for outside the pageant world. Then I took a step back and embraced the most beautiful role of my life, becoming a mother. I embraced it fully but deep down I still had my what-ifs,” she said.
Marquez declared that she feels “whole” as a mother and a human, noting it as one of the reasons why she decided to join the upcoming pageant.
“Who would’ve thought that this door would open again? For a mother, for a woman at this stage in life… But when it did, I felt it. I had to take it.. because I am more than ready — I am whole,” she wrote.
Touching on her past experience as the first Filipina to win the Reina Hispanoamericana crown in 2017, the beauty queen said she wants her journey to be proof that “dreams don’t have deadlines,” and what it means to be a “Reina.”
“Joining this journey is already a WIN for me. But more than that, I’m here to show you what it truly means to be a Reina. To prove that dreams don’t have deadlines, that beauty isn’t just what you see, and that strength comes in many forms. Let’s #WYNtheUNIVERSE,” she said.
Meanwhile, Marquez’s cousin, Miss Universe Philippines 2023 Michelle Dee, was emotional as she wished the former Reina titleholder well in her upcoming national tilt on her Instagram account.
“Who else feels the magic?! As someone who has given me so much strength in my journey, I definitely can’t wait for everyone to witness yours @teresitassen. I know you’ll take every step with pure intentions and nothing but love for your purpose and our home,” she wrote.
Marquez was announced as the representative of Muntinlupa during a sashing ceremony last February 8, which was graced by Dee and beauty brand executive Anna Magkawas.
Magkawas holds the right to choose Muntinlupa’s representative for the national pageant, as she is one of the accredited partners selected by the Miss Universe Philippines organization.
A beauty queen and an actress, Marquez was the first Filipina to win the Reina Hispanoamericana pageant in 2017, which earned her the nickname “Latina slayer” among pageant fans. She also joined Binibining Pilipinas 2015 and Miss World Philippines 2017, where she earned the Reina Hispanoamericana Filipinas 2017 title.
She is the daughter of Joey Marquez and Alma Moreno, and is also the niece of Miss International 1979 Melanie Marquez.