Filipina queens ‘dominate’ Thai-based MGI All Stars production

BANGKOK, Thailand — With the massive stage and humongous LED panels, the three major shows of the recent MGI All Stars competition were undoubtedly Thai productions. But there was a distinct Filipino flavor to the ceremonies, provided by pageant winners from the Philippines.

There were five participants from the Philippines for the first edition of the groundbreaking competition among veterans of international pageants. But they were not the only ones who brought the country’s stamp in the competition.

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The first edition of MGI All Stars sought to distinguish itself from its parent pageant Miss Grand International through tweaks in the way productions were mounted, carving a different signature that fans hopefully caught.

With a large “playground” for the ladies to showcase their “pasarela” (pageant walk) and sufficient illumination so that everyone watching live at the MGI Hall in Bangkok or viewing through screens can see them clearly, the two preliminary rounds and “Grand Final” ceremonies were a visual treat to avid pageant followers.

But what truly set it apart from the highly-entertaining staging of the Miss Grand International pageant’s editions was the presence of Filipino hosts that made up almost half of the team that handled mic duties.

First to go onstage was 2024 Miss Grand International Christine Juliane “CJ” Opiaza, who shared hosting chores with 2025 Miss Universe First Runner-up Veena Praveenar Singh from Thailand and 2025 Miss Universe Asia Zhao Na from China for the Preliminary Round 1 show on May 27.

Reigning Miss Grand International Emma Tiglao, Opiaza’s successor who is also from the Philippines, also made an appearance in the show as she presented an award onstage.

Tiglao returned to the stage the next day, but this time to host the Preliminary Round 2 show with 2023 Miss Universe Philippines and Miss Universe Top 10 finalist Michelle Marquez Dee.

Thai titleholder Paweensuda Drouin, 2019 Miss Universe Top 5 finalist, shared hosting chores with the two Filipino queens, while Opiaza took her turn to bestow an award on that day.

And on the “Grand Final” show on May 30, Tiglao and Dee returned anew as hosts, joining Ecuadorian personality Danilo Carrera. Opiaza also returned to help crown the winner Vanesa Pulgarin from Colombia.

The two Filipino queens’ inclusion in the finale hosting team was a pleasant surprise to pageant fans. Only Carrera was tasked to host the Grand Final, as announced earlier, while Tiglao and Dee were scheduled for the Preliminary Round 2 show only.

Nawat Itsaragrisil, president of the Miss Grand International Organization that mounted MGI All Stars, later revealed that he was “dissatisfied” with how the Ecuadorian presenter performed during rehearsals and decided to get the two Filipino queens on board.

But it was not the first time that Nawat tapped Filipinos to host his show. Actor Xian Lim and 2016 Miss Grand International first runner-up Nicole Cordoves hosted the fifth Miss Grand International pageant in Vietnam in 2017. Lim retuned the next year, when Myanmar hosted the competition.

Nawat said he did not hire Miss Grand International’s eight-time host Matthew Deane to set MGI All Stars apart. The Thai presenter has been hosting his global tilt’s coronation shows since 2020, but first grabbed the microphone in the second edition held in Thailand in 2014. /edv