Mela Habijan hailed as Miss Trans Global 2020

LGBTQIA+ advocate and social media star Mela Franco Habijan is Miss Trans Global 2020!

The great news was announced on Saturday, 9 p.m., during the live stream broadcast of the coronation night where Mela, along with the other candidates, wore her beautiful long gown at the comfort of her home.

On Facebook, Mela wrote, “Pilipinas, we won! We won! We are the first-ever Miss Trans Global!

“Lord! Maraming, maraming salamat po!

“Not your typical crowning moment, but I'm happy to be holding the hands of the best people in my life. #MissTransGlobal.”

In the question and answer portion, the Top 10 contestants were asked how they are going to fulfill their ambitious plans in one year if crowned Miss Trans Global.

Mela answered, “I am very ambitious as a person. For that ambition to happen, I make sure to plan it all out. That's why in my mind, I enumerated three plans that I can do online.

“In doing so, I want to pursue 'Trans+form Woman' which is an online community for transgender women. I will set up a Facebook group and this would resonate in social media so people can be a member and just interact in that group.

“In terms of the website, 'True Colors' it's a show by interviewing people, and interviewing different women and leaders that I know. I will be laying down #Womanity so it would be clear for them what the advocacy is all about.”

Watch the full coronation night below:

Mela appeared in the 2018-2019 Kapuso drama series, Asawa Ko, Karibal Ko, where she played Mela, the loyal and best friend of Thea Tolentino's character, Venus Hermosa-Bravante.

Miss Trans Global is an inclusive international pageant that showcases the intelligence and creativity of trans women globally.

Congratulations, Mela!