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Get to know Miss International 2016 Kylie Verzosa
Less than a year after Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach brough pride to the country by taking home the Miss Universe crown, another Filipina beauty has won another highly coveted international title: Kylie Verzosa is the new Miss International!
Kylie was crowned Miss International 2016 on Thursday in Tokyo.
Rounding out the pageant's top five are Miss Australia Alexandra Britton as first runner-up, Miss Indonesia Felicia Hwang as 2nd runner-up, Miss Nicaragua Brianny Chamorro as 3rd runner-up, and Miss USA Kaityrana Leinbach as 4th runner-up.
The beauty queen from Baguio City is the sixth Filipina to win the crown, following in the footsteps of Gemma Cruz (1964), Aurora Pijuan (1970), Melanie Marquez (1979), Precious Lara Quigaman (2005), and Bea Santiago (2013).
Kylie's win came after her second try at the local Binibining Pilipinas pageant.
Before being crowned Binibining Pilipinas-International 2016, Kylie only made it to the top 15 in the Binibining Pilipinas pageant the year before.
On Thursday during the international competition, Kylie said during her speech as one of the top 15 contestants that she is ready to take on the responsibility of an international beauty queen, keeping her focus on promoting international understanding.
"Three things come into mind when I think of Miss International: Culture, education, and international understanding. These three work together to make the Miss International brand relevant to the global community and to our time," she said.
The beauty queen added, "If I become Miss International 2016, will devote myself to cultural and international understanding because I believe that it is with developing in each of us sensitivity to other cultures that we expands our horizons, tolerate differences, and appreciate diversity. All these enable us to achieve international understanding, and believe that I am prepared to take on this responsibility.”
This comes as no surprise to people who know her. After all, Kylie has long been promoting unity in diversity as a teacher and as a proud advocate of mental health awareness.
After graduating with a bachelor's degree in Business Management from Ateneo de Manila University, she went on to volunteer at the Natasha Goulbourn Foundation where she teaches people about mental health.
According to Kylie in a previous statement, “Depression and anxiety are one of the youth's main problems of today. I want people to know that it is a real sickness and it affects people in many different ways. It is treatable, and you are not alone.”
“Mental health is something we do not talk about often. I believe that one of the most fundamental knowledge is how to manage our own mind and emotions, and this isn't something taught in schools but eventually learned through searching and experience. And also highly believe that our success depends upon our mindset,” she added.
Aside from her passion and dedication, it seems like the beauty queen blood is also running through Kylie's veins.
Her mother, Gemma Raquel Fausto, joined Binibining Pilipinas in 1985 and was one of the semi-finalists. Gemma has since become her daughter's number one fan.
“Thank you for being the most supportive, loving and kind woman to me. She would kill for me. Thank you mommy. I love you!” Kylie said in one of her previous Mother's Day greetings.
In the middle of rehearsal the day before the pageant, Kylie did not miss the chance to snap a selfie with the President of the Philippines during his state visit in Japan.
“Today I am the luckiest!!! President Duterte at his state visit to Japan, felt at home with all the Filipinos. Thank you for all your good energy, thank you to everyone who made this possible,” she said in an Instagram post this week.
Before becoming a beauty queen, Kylie spent her days as a model with the Professional Models Association of the Philippines, which has also served as a training ground for other Filipina beauty queens, including Jennifer Hammond and Maxine Medina.
Her beauty, wit, and dedication has gained her loyal fans, who call themselves Kylie's Angels.
A photo posted by Kylie Verzosa (@kylieverzosa) on
Kylie's victory is the first for this year's batch of Binibining Pilipinas queens.
Just this Wednesday, Nicole Cordoves was named first runner-up at the Miss Grand International pageant. Miss Indonesia Ariska Putri Pertiwi took home the crown.
Binibining Pilipinas Intercontinental 2016 Jennifer Hammond made it to the Top 15 of the Miss Intercontinental 2016 pageant earlier this month.
The rest continue to prepare for their upcoming international pageants: Nichole Manalo is set to represent the Philippines at the Miss Globe pageant next month; Joanna Eden will compete at Miss Supranational in December; and Maxine Medina will be the Philippines' bet in the upcoming Miss Universe 2016 pageant, which will be staged in the Philippines in January.
In an interview with Maki Pulido right after her win, Kylie said that she's dedicating her win to the Filipino people.
She has also sent an inspirational message to the youth: “Study hard because beauty is not only physical, but also mental. Respect people and be good all the time.”
— Bianca Rose Dabu/BM, GMA News
