The closing of the year 2018 was on a very good note for the Philippines where the beauty pageant scene is concerned. After all, a Filipina – Catriona Gray – was once again crowned Miss Universe, the fourth in the country’s history of participation; and it was but three years after the third, Pia Wurtzbach. Fans could see that their bet for the Miss Universe title from last year was going to be a hit with the world, judging from her first official interviews. It also gave Filipinos hope that more upcoming pageant contestants could be just as lucky. And another was.
According to CNN Philippines, another Miss Philippines has done the country proud on the first month of 2019, when she won Miss Tourism World Intercontinental 2019, which was held the evening of Tuesday in Nanjing, China. The lucky winner was Francesca Taruc, and her triumph comes less than a month after the stunning victory of Catriona Gray at the Miss Universe pageant in Thailand on December of the previous year. Arguably better, there can be no dispute as to where the 20-year-old Taruc “belongs”, being a Mass-Comm degree-holder from Angeles, Pampanga where she grew up, compared to the Australian-born Catriona.
Miss Taruc can also claim some descent from significant Philippine history as she is a granddaughter of the late Luis Taruc, former supremo of the HUKBALAHAP, the country’s original major Communist insurgency prior to the CPP-NPA. She herself is a fashion model and an established vlogger. During the Miss Tourism World Intercontinental preliminaries, she received an award for “Best Body”; while during the pageant night proper she was in fine patriotic form with her evening gown. Said red garment was decorated on her left side with the “three stars and a sun” Philippine flag motif, designed by Benj Leguiab IV.
Miss Tourism World Intercontinental is a China-based beauty pageant that has its own significant participation, not only from nations but from component territories. For instance, following Francesca Taruc winning the crown from 2019, the first runner-up is from Tatarstan, a federal subject republic of the Russian Federation. Second runner-up was the contestant from the Ukraine.
Prior to this pageant, Taruc has already participated in a prior international beauty pageant, though not one of the so-called “Big 4” that includes Miss Universe. Last year she also competed in Miss Freedom of the World, held in Kosovo.
Image courtesy of Manila Times
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