ADVERTISEMENT
Philippines' Maria Luisa Varela wins Miss Planet International
Philippine bet Maria Luisa Varela was crowned the newest Miss Planet International!
Maria Luisa previously placed third runner-up in Miss Palawan Universe in 2022. She is the first Filipino to win the international pageant.
Aside from being a beauty queen, the 26-year-old also works as an entrepreneur.
The runners-up in the Miss Planet International are Jemima Mandemwa of Zimbabwe (1st runner-up), Ona Aya of Japan (2nd runner-up), Tiffany Ha of Vietnam (3rd runner-up), Katarina Juselius of Finland (4th runner-up), and Alina Safronova of Latvia (5th runner-up).
Maria Luisa replaced Herlene Nicole Budol as the Philippines' representative. She made the announcement on Instagram on January 17.
Miss Planet International was supposed to be Herlene's first international pageant, after placing first runner-up in Binibining Pilipinas and garnering seven special awards.
Herlene withdrew "[due] to uncertainties by the organizers" and that the candidates were not treated well.
Miss Planet International was rescheduled to January 29 in a ceremony at the Koh Pich Theater in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, despite the controversies. It was originally scheduled for November 2022 in Uganda.
—Nika Roque/MGP, GMA Integrated News