Mutya ng Pilipinas Iona Gibbs sustains PH’s placement streak in Miss Intercontinental pageant

Mutya ng Pilipinas Iona Gibbs. Image: MUTYA NG PILIPINAS FACEBOOK PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Iona Violeta Gibbs sustained the country’s placement streak in the Miss Intercontinental pageant that was started by her fellow Mutya ng Pilipinas queen Koreen Medina in 2013.

Gibbs advanced to the semifinal round of 22 at the final competition of the 2023 Miss Intercontinental pageant held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, on Dec. 15 (Dec. 16 in Manila).

The Philippines’ 10-year placement streak started in 2013 when Medina finished as third runner-up in the competition held in Germany.

Since then, two Filipino women have captured the Miss Intercontinental title, Binibining Pilipinas queens Karen Gallman in 2018 and Cinderella Faye Obeñita in 2021.

Between 2014 and 2022, the Bb. Pilipinas Charities Inc. (BPCI) held the national franchise for the global tilt. The Mutya ng Pilipinas pageant reacquired the license earlier this year.

Mutya ng Pilipinas President Cory Quirino announced the reacquisition in February, and said the organization would send Gibbs, who topped the 2022 national competition, to the 2023 Miss Intercontinental pageant.

When Gibbs captured her Mutya ng Pilipinas title in December 2022, there was no international competition assigned to her, and the organizers said they were looking for an international pageant for her. Two other winners already received their respective international assignments upon their coronation.

Gibbs carried the duty to score the Mutya ng Pilipinas organization’s first Miss Intercontinental win, and the third for the country.

The title eventually went to Chatnalin Chotjirawarachat, the second winner from Thailand. She advanced to the finals by bagging the “Power of Beauty” award.

Newly crowned Miss Intercontinental Chatnalin Chotjirawarachat. Image: MISSOSOLOGY FACEBOOK PHOTO

Settling for the first runner-up spot was Mexico’s Cristina Villegas Murillo, followed by second runner-up Ngoc Hang Le Nguyen from Vietnam.

Serbia’s Sara Damnjanovic, who advanced to the finals by topping the “People’s Choice” poll, finished as third runner-up, while Mare Salas from Colombia was fourth runner-up.

Completing the winners’ circle were Russia’s Daria Reshta and Sierra Leone’s Christiana sia Johnson, fifth and sixth runners-up, respectively.