Things you need to know about Miss Universe Philippines 2022
On April 30, Saturday, Celeste Cortesi, the 24-year-old beauty queen from Pasay City, edged out 31 other competitors to secure the title of Miss Universe Philippines 2022. She also bagged two other awards, the Best in Swimsuit and Miss Photogenic titles.
Yet, aside from stunning features and overall charm, there’s more to Celeste (pronounced “Che-leste”) than what meets the eye.
Let’s start with the obvious.
The newly crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2022 is half Filipina and half Italian. Celeste was born in Pasay City but raised in Italy. And the Miss Universe Philippines title wasn’t her first bout (and win) in the world of pageantry.
Back in 2018, Celeste vied for and won the title of Miss Earth 2018. In her previous Instagram post, where she dons the crown and sash for the past competition, she thanked her mother for introducing her to Filipino roots, which she ignored before and felt sorry for doing so.
“Almost two months ago, I arrived for the first time here in the Philippines alone, and I discovered a wonderful country and countrymen,” she wrote.
Her early experiences in the country led her to her current advocacy of championing indigenous people and their land rights. In an exclusive interview with The Qrown Philippines, she mentioned that being a half-Filipina inspires her to discover more about the Filipinos. She dreams of traveling to different parts of the Philippines and immersing in the local culture.
“I also want to teach people and help them be more aware of the small groups here in the Philippines that are sometimes not heard or seen enough by the community,” she said.
Celeste is currently working as a model, but she’s also pursuing her real estate license in the meantime. Some would think that it’s the other side of her career that she wants to achieve, yet Celeste is also using the knowledge and experiences she gains to support her advocacy of fighting for indigenous people’s land rights.
The newly crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2022 is also a beach lover. She filled her Instagram feed with pictures of her posing on picturesque beaches across the country and highlighting their natural beauty. Some of these photos include her partner, Mathew Custodio, a football player who plays for the Philippines’ national team.
Speaking of natural beauty, Celeste also uses her body to express herself. She flaunts a collection of tattoos across her body, including her wrist, bikini area, forearm, and chest, that all describe her personality. Her biggest one is a palm tree located on her thigh.
Another fun fact about Celeste is that she’s a proud mom to two fur babies, a French bulldog named Dolce and a cat named Chanel. Lastly, she manifested her win in the Miss Universe Philippines 2022 pageant by whispering to the La Mer en Majesté crown about her dreams of becoming Miss Universe.
Celeste’s quirks and personality make it hard for anyone to ignore her, a good trait to have as the next Miss Universe Philippines. She will go on to compete for the Miss Universe title in December 2022 in San José, Costa Rica.