Actress, fashion designer, and beauty queen Jocelyn Cubales at the age of 69 defied familiar norms in beauty pageants when she decided to compete in Miss Universe Philippines-Quezon City (MUPHQC) 2024.
This early, Cubales, who competed in Mrs. Universe 2017 and co-starred with Anita Linda in the 2017 film New Generation Heroes, is creating a lot of buzz. If she succeeds in winning the title to become Quezon City’s representative, in the finals set on Feb. 5, she will make history as the oldest-ever candidate in the Miss Universe Philippines pageant.
Cubales may be followed by other women her age as the age limit for contestants in Miss Universe has been eliminated, and every adult in the world will be eligible to join the Miss Universe starting in 2024.
Cubales said that she joined the pageant to inspire other Filipino women to pursue their passions and achieve their dreams, and so that the younger generation can learn from her life experiences.
Meanwhile, diversity will again be at the forefront in the coming Miss Universe Philippines 2024 with the inclusion of newly-crowned, Miss Iloilo 2024, Alexie Mae Caimoso Brooks, a black Filipino-American.
Brooks, a 22-year-old model and scholar-athlete at National University, edged out 14 other Ilongga beauties, succeeding in breaking stereotypes and redefining the typical Filipina beauty.
Growing up, she helped her family by selling vegetables at the local market. The NU stalwart realized her dream as an athlete when she became a member of the national team, competing in the sport of heptathlon, at the 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games held in Hanoi, Vietnam in 2022.
The kings are coming
The King of the World Philippines 2024, the newest male pageant in town, will have a red-carpet grand welcome for its forty-three dashing candidates, happening today (Friday) at Winford Hotel & Casino Manila.
The official sashing, pinning ceremony, and press presentation of the candidates will be led by Meg Perez, owner and CEO of King of the World (KOTW) Philippines and KOTW, with Carlo Aquino and Carmelo Magadia, KOTW Philippines executive assistants.
Meanwhile, the eight most liked candidates, voted by fans from pre-arrival photos, were announced by the organization, namely, Aparis Algen Ceniza (Southern Leyte, Ron Aerol Balagso (Calamba, Laguna), Christian Villones (Laguna Province), Lester Buna (Quezon City), Errol Nacion (Las Piñas City), Ernest Augustine Lucila (Albay Province), Breine Mark Palentinos (Lucban, Quezon), and Daphn Derxl Daradal (Samar Province).
Also announced were the King of the World Philippines Ambassadors which included Mister International 2014 Neil Perez, Mister Universal Ambassador 2018 George De Lumen, Perfumo model Hisam Jehad, Mister Grand International 2017 4th runner-up Joshua Banatin and Mister International 2013 4th runner-up Gil Wagas.
According to Meg Perez, the newest male pageant in town aims to elevate the quality of male pageantry in the country and beyond.