Miss Grand International candidate Samantha Bernardo sent netizens abuzz as she trended on Twitter after her stunning performance in the swimsuit competition at the Miss Grand International pageant in Thailand Saturday.
#PhilippinesForMGI was one of the top 5 trends in the Philippines while Bernardo’s name was also among the top 20 trending on Twitter.
Bernardo is eyeing to be the first Filipina to win the elusive crown. The coronation night will be held on March 27.
The Filipina beauty queen captured social media fans’ attention with her graceful pasarela walk and flawless turns while she donned a blue two-piece swimwear in the roof deck of Bangkok’s State Tower.
Bernardo also posted on Instagram her Palawan-inspired gown which, according to her, represented fishnets and fish scales known in her hometown.
“Flawlessly handcrafted beadings which clandestinely bares the map of the island. And the sheer radiance of white. The luminous glow which impeccably pictures the pristine white beaches and waters of Palawan,” she said in the caption.
“This gown describes the last frontier of the Philippines.”
Previously, Bernardo emerged victorious in different online challenges set up by the pageant organizers.
The beauty queen received the second-highest number of votes in the recent “How to Know You in One Minute” challenge, where she performed a Filipino folk dance; and “How to Eat Thai Food in 2 Minutes,” where she enjoyed sampling pad Thai and roasted chicken with pandan rice.
She was also one of the five candidates who had the rare opportunity to share a meal with Miss Grand International founder and president Nawat Itsaragrisil.
The dinner, held last March 16, served as a reward for the winners of the pageant’s “Top 5 on Arrival” competition.