Samantha Bernardo dazzles in Philippine Eagle-inspired national costume at Miss Grand International
Samantha Bernardo, the Philippine-bet for the Miss Grand International, slayed the national costume competition as she dazzled with her Philippine Eagle-inspired frock.
During the competition that was streamed live on Wednesday, March 24, the beauty queen wore an original Patrick Isorena costume named “Agila” that was inspired by the country's national bird and is considered one of the most powerful feathered creatures in the world.
Check out her dazzling stage moment below:
According to the designer, the costume also aims to create awareness of the animal as it is deemed “critically endangered” mainly due to massive loss of habitat caused by deforestation.
He explained, “The Costume is inspired by our National Bird - The Philippine Eagle, also known as the Monkey-Eating Eagle or Great Philippine Eagle.
“It is considered the largest of the extant eagles in terms of length and wing surface, the rarest and most powerful bird in the world.
“This costume also intends to create awareness because the Philippine Eagle is critically endangered, mainly due to massive loss of habitat resulting from deforestation in most of its range.”
Patrick added that he used the color gold as its main color to represent the “magnificent journey” of Samantha Bernardo" and to “pay homage to the MGI Golden Crown.”
“Just like gold, it is extravagant, wealthy, rich, and indestructible, like Samantha - A queen who never gave up on her dreams,” he concluded.
Early this week, Samantha turned heads when she displayed her #GRANDnadaWalk during the swimsuit competition on Saturday, March 20, which garnered more than 200,000 views on YouTube.
On Wednesday, March 24, Miss Grand International also announced that Samantha placed among the Top Five Finalists for the “Best in Swimsuit” competition by vote, including Indonesia, Mexico, Cambodia, and Paraguay.
The five other finalists to be selected by the judges, meanwhile, are yet to be announced.
The coronation night will be held on March 27.
Speaking of beauty queens, did you know that GMA Network houses many stunning beauty queens as well? Get to know who they are in this gallery: