It saw beauty queens from all over the world return for one more shot at becoming a beauty pageant winner.
On Saturday (May 30), the inaugural MGI All Stars pageant, organized by the Miss Grand International Organization, had its coronation night held in Bangkok, Thailand.
A total of 56 contenders from around the globe have competed for the chance of clinching the title, with the Philippines represented by Alexia Nuñez, Fuschia Ravena, Gazini Ganados, Keylyn Trajano, and Imelda Schweighart.
Meanwhile, renowned shoemaker Jojo Bragais also appeared as part of the selection committee.
Once the first cut to Top 18 was announced, only Ganados and Ravena were able to make it and proceed to the succeeding round of the competition.
Fuschia, however, was not able to go pass that stage, with Gazini being the last Filipina standing for the next phases of the pageant.
During the Q&A for the Top 5 contestants, the Miss Universe 2019 Top 20 finisher was asked by Miss Grand International 2020 Abena Appiah Akuaba.
Her question was, “Cyberbullying has become one of the biggest threats facing young people today. Beyond simply telling people to be kind, what practical steps should society take to reduce cyberbullying?“
In response, Gazini said, “I was once a victim of cyberbullying. It was not easy to go through something that you didn’t ask for. As a Filipina-Palestinian, I have raised my voice and I have conquered my fears because I faced the struggles that I have been facing.”
The beauty queen also said that her family renains stuck in Gaza, which has been heavily bombarded by Israel since 2023. “And now that I’m fighting for their lives, I just want to do my best, be their representation, and raise their flags, just like who I am today as a Filipina-Palestinian,” she added.
Gazini, however, ended her journey after that portion. Eventually, the title went to Colombian candidate Vanessa Pulgarin, while Faith Maria Porter of Ghana and Huong Giang Nguyen of Vietnam were named runners-up.
Pulgarin is expected to return next year to defend her crown, which is part of the mechanics of the competition that was established as a spin-off of the main MGI brand.