PH bet starts strong in Miss Asia Pacific International 2024 pageant

The Miss Philippines-Asia Pacific International Blessa Figueroa/ARMIN P. ADINA

The Philippines’ Blessa Figueroa gave the country a strong start at the comeback edition of the Miss Asia Pacific International pageant, happening five years since the last competition was held in 2019.

The California-based Filipino lass gathered the second highest number of votes in the “Darling of the Press” poll during the Press Presentation held at Lanson Place Mall of Asia in Pasay City on Tuesday morning, Oct. 1.

New Zealand’s Katharina Weischede amassed the most votes from members of the media who attended the event. Sweden’s Wanja Jennifer Grace Olsson finished third in the poll.

The 2024 Miss Asia Pacific International is also the first edition under the leadership of beauty queen-turned-lawyer Eva Patalinjug as president of the organization. She succeeded Jacqueline Tan-Sainz who stays on as Chief Executive Officer.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the tight restrictions that came with it had prevented the organization from staging competitions in 2020 and 2021. No pageant was held in 2022 and 2023 while a reorganization went underway.

In February, the Miss Asia Pacific International pageant announced its return this year, with new qualifications for aspirants. The competition has now opened its doors to mothers and married women, and the maximum age limit was raised to 30 years old.

Figueroa is the first Filipino delegate not to come from the Mutya ng Pilipinas pageant. She was fielded by The Miss Philippines, a sister brand of the Miss Universe Philippines competition under Empire Philippines, that now holds the franchise for the global tilt.

She was a finalist in the first staging of The Miss Philippines Culture and Heritage Celebration held in October 2023, and received her international pageant assignment in February.

Figueroa hopes to sustain the Philippines’ status as the most successful country in the Miss Asia Pacific International pageant, and become the sixth Fillipino woman to win the title, following Maria del Carmen Inez Zaragoza (1982), Gloria Dimayacyac (1983), Lorna Legaspi (1989), Michelle Aldana (1993), and Sharifa Areef Mohammad Omar Akeel (2018).

The 2024 Miss Asia Pacific International coronation night will be held at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Pasay City on Monday, Oct. 7.