Kyllie Verzosa and Nicole Borromeo. Image from Instagram
Take it from the queen herself: Binibining Pilipinas Nicole Borromeo has a great shot at capturing the Miss International title once again this year, says actress Kylie Verzosa, the 2016 titleholder.
“I’m so, so excited for her. I think she’s the perfect mold for Miss International. I think she already had enough time for training, so I think she’s gonna do a really good job,” Verzosa told INQUIRER.net at a recent brand launch in Taguig.
Verzosa also shared that Borromeo had already reached out to her to seek advice that may help secure the Philippines’ seventh victory in the Miss International pageant. Verzosa is the sixth Filipino woman to capture the title.
The actress gave assurance to the Cebuana Nicole Borromeo to “keep [her] head up” and enjoy the experience. “Know that the Philippines is supporting you, and we support you. We believe in you,” she told Borromeo, who is already in Tokyo Japan for the 61st edition of the pageant.
READ: Bb. Pilipinas Nicole Borromeo now top Asia-Pacific delegate in Miss International poll
“It’s gonna be such a good time of their lives. Make connections, build friendships with the girls,” she reminded the ladies,” she addressed the delegates. “You know, it’s nice because you always have a friend in many different countries. It’s also a time for self-discovery, getting to know yourself even more. Yes, there’s a bit of competition. But, you know, it’s always good for you. It makes you a strong woman.”
The 2023 Miss International pageant will crown a new queen at the Yoyogi Gymnasium No. 2 in Tokyo’s Shibuya ward on Oct. 26, and Verzosa said she would want to see a winner “who can speak her mind, someone who can stand up for herself. I like someone who is just themselves, that they don’t really try to copy anyone else.”
READ: How to cast vote for Nicole Borromeo in Miss International race
She said she would also want to see “something fresh, something new, breaking beauty standards, someone strong, someone with the willpower, with the initiative to do something with their crown or with their title. Because, you know, it’s only gonna last for a few more years. So what do you do with the title afterwards?”
Aside from Verzosa, the five other Miss International winners from the Philippines are Gemma Cruz (1964), Aurora Pijuan (1970), Melanie Marquez (1979), Precious Lara Quigaman (2005), and Bea Rose Santiago (2013). The country’s six-crown haul in the global tilt is second only to Venezuela’s record of eight wins.
Nicole Borromeo won the Miss International crown in 2021 but the pageant was no held that year because of the pandemic.
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