Colombia's Vanessa Pulgarin wins MGI All Stars; PH's Gazini Ganados finishes in Top 5

MANILA, Philippines, June 1 ------ Vanessa Pulgarin of Colombia was crowned the inaugural MGI All Stars winner in Bangkok, Thailand, besting 55 other contestants. The Philippines' Gazini Ganados finished in the Top 5 of the competition.

Joining Pulgarin in the Top 3 were Faith Maria Porter of Ghana, who was named first runner-up, and Huong Giang Nguyen of Vietnam, who finished as second runner-up. During the final question-and-answer segment, the Top 3 candidates were asked the same question: “What qualities do you possess that make you a star and allow you to shine clearly above the rest?."

Pulgarin responded: “I [was] born for this. This is my biggest dream. Doesn't matter what door is closing. You need to trust in yourself. Doesn't matter if a person say, 'No, you can't do [that].' You can, because we are power. We are disciplined. And I'm here because I want to win MGI All Stars because I'm born for the stage. I'm born for the connection with the people. I'm here because I work hard for my dreams. Kap khun ka."

Ganados advanced to the Top 5 after the swimsuit, evening gown and question-and-answer rounds. While the Filipina beauty queen delivered strong performances on stage, her response in the Top 5 Q&A segment appeared to fall short compared with the eventual finalists. During the round, Ganados was asked by Miss Grand International 2020 Abena Appiah Akuaba: "Cyberbullying has become one of the biggest threats facing young people today. Beyond simply telling people to be kind, what practical steps should society take to reduce cyberbullying?"

Ganados answered, "I was once a victim of cyberbullying. It was not easy to go through something that you didn't ask for. As a Filipina-Palestinian, I have raised my voice and I have conquered my fears because I faced the struggles that I have been facing." "My family is still stuck in Gaza/ And now that I'm fighting for their lives, I just want to do my best, be their representation, and raise their flags, just like who I am today as a Filipina-Palestinian," she added.

Apart from Ganados, four other Filipinas competed in the first edition of MGI All Stars. Fuschia Anne Ravena advanced to the Top 18, while Alexia Nuñez, Keylyn Trajano and Imelda Schweighart also represented the country. MGI All Stars differs from the regular Miss Grand International competition, whose reigning titleholder is Emma Tiglao of the Philippines.

The pageant serves as a spin-off of Miss Grand International and features returning beauty queens from various national and international pageants. Tiglao co-hosted the coronation night alongside Miss Universe Philippines 2023 Michelle Dee and Ecuadorian actor Danilo Carrera. Filipino shoe designer and entrepreneur Jojo Bragais served as one of the eight judges.

Source: manilatimes.net