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It takes a village to create a queen, but the stars must align to secure the Miss Universe crown. Despite having the potential to go all the way, winning the title is a matter of destiny.
Considered the Super Bowl of pageantry, Miss Universe is a bloodbath among many crown-hungry ladies — particularly powerhouses from the United States, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Mexico, South Africa, and India — where one lucky woman brings home the coveted crown.
Such alignment happened for R’Bonney Gabriel, the Texas-based delegate with Filipino heritage, who was crowned as the winner on its 71st edition on Jan. 14 (Jan. 15 in Manila). This marks the ninth win of the United States, since Olivia Culpo in 2012.
Meanwhile, the Philippines has won a total of four Miss Universe crowns since its birth in 1952. Despite being a favorite among pageant fans, the title remained elusive for many a Filipina candidate.
Here is a list of some Filipina queens who came this close to the finals, nay, even winning the Miss Universe crown.
Beatrice Luigi Gomez, Miss Universe 2021 Top 5
Prior to competing in the 70th Miss Universe, Beatrice made history as the Philippines’ first bisexual candidate to represent the country. She is also considered to be a contender for the crown because of her empowering story and quiet confidence by analysts including established beauty pageant platform Missosology.
At that time, the strongest candidates were Miss Universe 2021 Harnaaz Sandhu of India, Nadia Ferreira of Paraguay, Lalela Mswane of South Africa, and Valeria Ayos of Colombia — but Beatrice wasn’t far behind.
The coronation night was no different. From her breathtaking Francis Libiran gown to “celebrating my womanhood” through her bracelet tattoo, Beatrice’s quiet confidence and tiger-like aura brought her to the Top 5 — ending the Philippines’s two-year drought of entering the finals.
It wasn’t until the topic of a vaccine passport during the pageant’s question-and-answer round that killed her chances of getting the crown. Everything worked out in the end since she proved that beauty queens can turn their dreams into reality, regardless of their gender.
Maria Mika Maxine Medina, Miss Universe 2016 Top 6
Maxine Medina had massive shoes to fill in 2016. The Philippines was still riding high on the victory of Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach — and fans wanted nothing less than the best. Not to mention that she was crowned alongside Miss International 2016 Kylie Versoza during the national pageant, leading her to be considered as one of the candidates who received the most hate during her reign.
She was the perfect package of beauty, body, and commanding presence — but she gained heat for her supposed grammar lapses during her training. She was advised to hire a translator, as a result.
Maxine still forged ahead in the 2016 pageant. However, she was criticized by Filipino pageant fans for opting to answer in English even if she was provided with a translator who interpreted the question, “What is the most significant change you’ve seen in the world in the last 10 years?”
She eventually finished in the Top 6, while Iris Mittenaere of France was crowned.
