by Robert Requintina, Manila Bulletin
Miss World Philippines 2021 Tracy Maureen Perez and two other Filipino beauty queens are ready to shine on the international stage as they represent the country in prestigious global pageants in the coming weeks.
Perez flies back to San Juan, Puerto Rico in the hope of continuing her winning streak on the coronation night of the 70th edition of the Miss World 2021 pageant scheduled on March 16 (March 17, 8:00 am, Manila time).
It will be remembered that the Miss World Organization issued its last-minute decision to reschedule the pageant just a few hours before the Dec. 16 coronation night, due to the alarming and unforeseen surge of Covid-19 cases in Puerto Rico at that time.
To keen pageant watchers, the decision seemed anti-climactic for Tracy, who was then clearly ahead of her game—having just assured herself of a Top 40 spot after winning the Head-to-Head and Beauty With A Purpose challenges.
“It could be frustrating for some, but I tried my best to compose and calm myself because it’s something I couldn’t control. I’ll just take it as a blessing that I’ll have more time to prepare,” said Tracy, during a grand official send-off at the luxurious B Hotel in Quezon City last Saturday, March 5, for the three queens.
Miss Eco Philippines 2021 Kathleen Paton also flew to Cairo, Egypt last March 6 to compete in the 7th edition of the Miss Eco International 2021 pageant, to be held from March 6-18, with the coronation night slated for March 16 (March 17, 12:30 a.m. Manila time).
Miss Environment Philippines 2021 Michelle Arceo feels more than ready to compete in the 1st edition of the Miss Environment International pageant scheduled from March 21-April 2 in Mumbai, India, with pageant proper scheduled on April 2, 5 pm IST/April 2, 7:30 pm Manila time.
Miss World Philippines National Director Arnold Vegafria is optimistic about the trio’s impending global conquest.
“With the normalization of the global health situation, I am very confident that Tracy, Kathleen, and Michelle can wave our flag proudly and outperform their competitors every step of the way. In Tracy’s case, the odds are already in her favor, based on her very impressive pre-pageant performance, so we can only hope and pray that she remains in top fighting form,” said Vegafria.
The MWPO also revealed a teaser for its revitalized slogan, “Exceptionally Empowered Filipina.”
“The past pandemic has given us ample time to rethink our strategies, and we feel that a rebranding can do so much to heighten our imaging and marketing potentials, and I’m very proud that our team has churned out a creative synergy that should take us to even unprecedented heights this year,” Vegafria said.
Taking its cue from Miss World Organization founder Julia Morley’s inspiring precedent, the Miss World Philippines Organization hopes to further its noble cause for women empowerment by writing its own unique narrative for its revitalized brand campaign.
The organization’s auspicious rebranding comes close on the heels of its recent announcement for the search for this year’s batch of aspiring queens, with final screening scheduled for April 19 and coronation night on May 29.
More than just being a celebration of exceptional beauty, substance, and purpose, the Miss World Philippines pageant has stood out for championing more relevant advocacies, which have empowered its winning queens to harness their collective energies in furthering their advocacies, which have so far included such relevant issues as cyberbullying, mental health, suicide prevention, gender equality, environmental awareness, and many others.
To date, the brand makeover has already captured the attention of keen pageant fans and netizens online. As evinced by its eye-catching fashion templates on its social media pages, the Miss World PH organization has obviously rewritten its style bible, utilizing slicker layouts and more engaging content.
