Fifty-five official delegates aspiring to succeed Michelle Dee for the title of Miss Universe Philippines 2024, were presented to the press at the Grand Ballroom of Hilton Manila, in Newport Blvd., Pasay, on Sunday.
As expected, due to the no-age-limit policy, the veterans and returning queens shone bright with their poise and elegance, commanding attention on the stage in their evening gowns and displaying their readiness to take the crown. Now considered as frontrunners are the likes of Ahtisa Manalo, Kris Tiffany Janson, Christi Lynn McGarry, Victoria Velasquez Vincent, and Stacey Gabriel.
Manalo, Miss International 2018 first runner-up, only 26, was born to a Fil-Spanish mother and a Finnish-Swedish father from Candelaria, Quezon. An accountancy graduate, she is an entrepreneur. She works with the Alon Akademie, an organization that empowers children to shape their world, focusing on enriching their social skills and Entrepreneurial mindset. Manalo is also an LGBTQ rights advocate.
Janson, Miss Intercontinental 2014 2nd runner-up, now 34, a finance analyst and public servant, working as protocol officer of the Office of the Mayor of Cebu. She said that she would use her as a platform for her story, and as a role model to inspire older women to continue chasing their dreams.
Fil-Am McGarry, 34, first runner-up in Miss Intercontinental 2015, is an advocate of environmental sustainability. She used to write articles on issues of feminism, gender equality, the LGBTQIA+ community, and mental health among others.
Fil-Irish Vincent, Miss Universe Philippines-Charity 2021, now 28-year-old, based in New Zealand, worked as a technical volunteer with the in-house architect of Habitat for Humanity, an organization that works toward bringing low-cost and sustainable housing for poor Filipino communities.
Gabriel, Bb. Pilipinas 2022 second runner-up, also 26, is an actor and communication arts student at the De La Salle University. She is an advocate for climate action and women’s rights.
The overseas-based beauties also made waves during the press presentation which include Christina Chalk, Kayla Jean Carter, and Kymberlee Street.
Chalk, 30, a Filipino-Scottish beauty, Face of Scotland 2009 and first runner-up in Miss Universe Great Britain 2021. She is a Pharmacology graduate and the founder of Self Esteem Queens, a powerful network for women that aims to connect, educate, and support ambitious women around the world.
Carter, 28, Fil-American, works as a model and bartender. Studied at the University of North Florida, Carter first gained attention in Netflix’s reality-dating show “Too Hot to Handle Season 2.”
Street, 26, an entrepreneur, is a semi-finalist in Mis Universe Australia 2022. She is the founder of Defence Skincare, a place to prepare, protect and empower aspiring women.
Also making a statement is Selena Alexis Antonio-Reyes, the oldest at 38. Coming back after competing in Bb. Pilipinas 2010, Reyes, a preschool educator, and a fitness enthusiast, won Century Tuna Ageless Superbod 2022. A veteran of international marathon events, Reyes is campaigning on a platform of overall wellness, on the importance of physical well-being and mental health.
Other standouts during the press presentation were Pampanga, Baguio, Iloilo, Laguna, Bacolod, San Pablo, Laguna, Lucban, Albay, United Kingdom, Australia, Angeles, Cavite, Kananga and Bulacan.
“With an endless barrage of mudslinging in the news, wars raging in different parts of the world, never-ending toxicity on social media, and in a very divided universe, the song ‘What the World Needs Now is Love’ seems quite [appropriate for] the times we live in,” MUPH said in a statement in choosing the 2024 edition’s theme “Love for All.”