Why Samantha Bernardo, Samantha Panlilio were ‘MIA’ at MGIP finals

Samantha Bernardo (left) and Samantha Panlilio (right) with Miss Grand Philippines National Director Arnold Vegafria at the recent MGIP finals. Image: Armin P. Adina/INQUIRER.net

At the opening segment of the recently-concluded Miss Grand International Philippines (MGIP) 2025 finals, two former titleholders also took the stage, but two others who were introduced did not appear — Samantha Bernardo and Samantha Panlilio.

The two Samanthas’ names were announced by the voice-over announcer during the parade of the ladies who previously represented the Philippines on the Miss Grand International pageant, but only Ali Forbes and Roberta Tamondong came out.

Garbed in shimmery short dresses with spaghetti straps, Forbes introduced herself as the 2013 queen, while Tamondong recreated the iconic introduction that she delivered at the 2022 global tilt held in Indonesia.

At the end of their bit, the voice-over announcer enumerated the names of all four queens — Forbes, Bernardo, Panlilio, and Tamondong — which got the spectators scratching their heads, and the online viewers looking for the two other queens.

As it turns out, Bernardo and Panlilio made it to the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, the venue of the ceremonies on Aug. 24. But they came too late to catch up to the already delayed program.

Bernardo was overheard saying that she and Panlilio were aware that they would have a portion during the opening segment of the program, but they were not told what their call time was.

She also said that she asked what they would be wearing for their appearance, but they never got all the details that they needed in time for the program.

As soon as she arrived at the venue, when the opening segment had already concluded, Bernardo immediately approached Arnold Vegafria, the Miss Grand International pageant’s national director for the Philippines.

She told the pageant official what had happened, and he just shrugged it off as not much of a big deal. He even gamely posed for photographs with both Bernardo and Panlilio, flashing a smile for the cameras.

All’s well that ends well, and the competition went on to crown broadcaster and pageant veteran Emma Tiglao as the country’s representative in the 2025 Miss Grand International contest in Thailand in October.

Bernardo was first runner-up in the pageant’s eighth edition held in March 2021 in Bangkok, while Panlilio went home empty-handed when she competed in the ninth edition held in December 2021, also in Bangkok.

Reigning queen is Christine Juliane “CJ” Opiaza, the first Filipino woman to receive the “golden crown” from the Miss Grand International. She was first runner-up in last year’s competition, but took over the reign of erstwhile winner Rachel Gupta, who abdicated the throne. /edv