Rizzini Alexis Gomez during the Miss Mandaue 2008 pageant. She was awarded Best in Costume and Best in Swimsuit.
Ms. Tourism International 2012 Rizzini Alexis Gomez died of lymphoma of the lungs in a hospital in Cebu at 8:20 a.m. today.
She was 25 years old.
News of her death broke out after Cebuano makeup artist Jonas Borces posted on his Facebook account Rizzini’s picture with the caption, “Forever remembered, Forever missed. Rest in peace nak.. we love you always.”
A registered nurse, she was the daughter of former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) player Rhoel Gomez.
She was crowned Mutya ng Pilipinas Tourism International in 2012 and won the international title on December 31, 2012 in Petaling Jaya, near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
She also won the title Reyna ng Aliwan in 2010.
Gomez flew all the way from the US last January to join other Cebuana beauty queens for the Sinulog 2015 grand finale.
Gomez is the second Mutya ng Pilipinas queen to bag the Miss Tourism International title after Peachy Manzano’s triumph in 2000.
Also read update on this story: Rizzini, Cebu’s int’l beauty titlist, passes away at 25 after illness