Mrs. Universe 2018 beauties, including the Philippines’ Beau Singson (seated, second row, 5th from right)
BEAUTY pageants are not just for singles but also for those who are married.
Eighty-eight women from all over the world will compete for the Mrs. Universe 2018 crown on Dec. 10 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.
Marilou Tolico-Villanueva, the franchise holder for the Philippines and founder of Mrs. Universe Philippines Finest Woman, told reporters that it’s the first time the international pageant will be held in the Philippines.
“I want Cebu to be the show window of Philippines,” she said when asked why Cebu was chosen as venue for the event.
She points out that Cebu is the perfect place because it’s an important investment hub.
She also wants to showcase the tourism attractions in the Queen City of the South.
In 2017, the pageant was held in Durban, South Africa where Luu Hoang Tram of Vietnam clinched the title.
Tolico-Villanueva said that Mrs. Universe is not an ordinary beauty pageant.
Mrs. Universe has a forum where candidates can present solutions to their advocacies and how to help their communities.
The pageant has four main campaigns: anti-bullying, anti-poverty, anti-domestic violence, and anti-human trafficking.
The 88 candidates are not just beauty queens but also women leaders and advocates in their respective countries.
Mrs. Universe was founded in San Salvador, El Savador in 2007, and is open to married women from 18 to 55 years old.