Miss Philippines is Miss Eco International 2022!

Congratulations to Miss Philippines Kathleen Paton for becoming the new Miss Eco International!

Kathleen bested nearly 50 candidates at the coronation event in Egypt at 1am (Philippine time).  

With grace, elegance, beauty, and intelligence, Kathleen made her way into the Top 21, and then to the Top 10, and finally to the Top 5 .

When she was asked about water pollution in the Top 10, Kathleen put forward how access to clean, drinking water is still a problem for a lot of Filipinos.

"Water pollution is a huge issue in the Philippines. A lot of Filipinos actually don't have access to clean drinking water, and I believe it is a right for every single human being, especially to my filipinos to have access to clean water. I aim to work with a company called 100 for all to give free access to water through giving out free water filtration systems not just to families but to whole communities," she said.

Kathleen's question in the Final 5 was a tough one: "As a title holder, you're a public figure. Do you think it's important to stay neutral on controversial social issues or to use your title to promote your own belief and why?"

Her winner answer:

It's a very tough question because we are at the forefront of opinions and negativity every single day, especially on social media. I do believe as a leader and as someone who is very influential in society, we sometimes have to use our voice in a very neutral state of mind because we have a very influential position. But in doing, we also have to use our voice in order to motivate other people to stand up for what is right and I think that takes a lot of good moral compass.

Below is the complete list of winners:

• Miss Eco International 2022: Philippines
• 1st runner-up: Belgium
• 2nd runner-up: USA
• 3rd runner-up: Spain
• 4th runner-up: Malaysia

Congrats to us! And congrats to you, Kathleen! Thank you for making the Philippines proud! — LA, GMA News