As we greet the New Year for the second time under the shadow of the coronavirus, we look back at the past year’s pageant events, mostly disrupted by COVID restrictions.
Of the Big Four pageants, only the Miss Universe pageant was able to proceed with its annual competition, with the 2020 and 2021 editions held in the same year, in May 2021 and December 2021, respectively.
Israel proceeded with the Miss Universe 2021 hosting even as it barred its borders to foreigners expected to flock in Bethlehem during Christmas to rein infections from the Omicron strain of the coronavirus.
The Miss International Beauty Pageant canceled its 60th pageant edition to be held in Japan for the second year and was moved to fall of 2022.
Miss Earth 2021, in its 21st year, was held in a virtual format for the second consecutive year taking into consideration the health and safety concerns of its contestants and the global impact of the pandemic.
Miss World returned after a year’s absence but abruptly called off its 70th edition, a few hours into the grand finale on Dec. 16 in Puerto Rico due to the rise in COVID-19 cases with 23 out of the 97 contestants tested positive. The pageant has been rescheduled for March 2022.
It was another fruitful year for the country in the global pageant competition. Beatrice Luigi Gomez, a 26-year-old Navy Reserve Sargent, took the Philippines back in the Top 5 in the 70th Miss Universe pageant won by India’s Harnaaz Sandhu, to continue the semifinal streak for the 12th consecutive year, which is a record in the new millennium.
Tracy Maureen Perez, a 28-year-old industrial engineer, secured a spot in the Top 30 of the postponed Miss World 2021 by finishing in the Top 4 of the Head-to-Head challenge. She was also named one of the Top 6 finalists of the Beauty with a Purpose fast track challenge.
Perez has returned to the country and will wait for the Miss World Organization’s final announcement of a new date for the pageant’s coronation night.
Bb. Pilipinas International 2021 Hannah Arnold was supposed to represent the Philippines in the canceled Miss International pageant.
Miss Earth Philippines 2021 Naelah Alshorbaji finished in the Top 8 of the virtual, Manila-based Miss Earth 2021 pageant won by Miss Belize Destiny Wagner, the first-ever international crown for the small Caribbean country.
Tourism officer Cinderella Faye Obeñita, 25, was crowned Miss Intercontinental 2021 in Egypt on Oct. 29, besting 70-plus delegates, the Philippines’ second Miss Intercontinental title after Karen Gallman in 2018.
Maureen Montagne, a 28-year-old Fil-American model, was named Miss Globe 2021 in Tirana, Albania on Nov. 6 edging out 49 other candidates and becoming the second Filipina to wear the Miss Globe (based in Albania) crown after Ann Lorraine Colis in 2015. Maricar Balagtas who won Miss Globe in 2001 was from the Turkey-based Miss Globe contest.
Alexandra Faith Garcia, a 27-year-old tourism graduate, bested 30 other candidates in Miss Aura International 2021, the first time of the Philippines to join the pageant, on its 16th year, in Antalya, Turkey on Oct. 3.
Singer and actress Emmanuelle Vera, 27, was named 3rd runner up in the 30th Reina Hispanoamericana pageant, won by Andrea Bazarte of Mexico, held on Oct. 30 in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
Model Tatyana Alexi Austria, 18, nearly scored a back-to-back win for the Philippines after finishing as first runner-up at the Miss Eco Teen International 2021, held in Egypt on Dec. 20, won by Vu Huyèn Diệu of Vietnam succeeding Roberta Tamandong.
In male pageants, the Philippines’ Joel Rey Carcasona, as first runner up, officially took over from Mr. Gay World 2021 Louw Breytenbach of South Africa on Dec. 29. Breytenbach resigned two months after he won in the virtual finals on Oct. 31 in South Africa due to disagreement with the Mr. Gay World Organization.
Carcasona, a 28-year-old licensed nurse, thus achieved a rare three-peat, after a back-to-back win of John Jeffrey Carlos and Leonard Kodie Macayan, in the 11th and 12th edition of Mr. Gay World, respectively. John Raspado was the first Filipino winner in 2017.