MORE INT’L BEAUTIES – Beauty expert Jay P. Delgado continues his nostalgic trip and recalls more Miss International titleholders from the Philippines… only for Highspeed.
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1979 – Mimilanie Laurel Marquez, was only 15 years old when she was crowned Miss International 1979 on Nov. 12, 1979 in Tokyo, Japan. She topped the field of 47 beauties worldwide and is, to date, the youngest winner of the tilt.
Melanie was given a rousing homecoming where she led a tilbury parade at Ayala Avenue in Makati City along with her runners-up Anna Maria Rapagna of the USA, Elisabeth Schmidt of Austria, Kate Elizabeth Nyberg of Finland, and Hideko Haba of Japan.
Melanie went on to become a successful actress and model. She won as Face of the ’80s in New York, eventually representing the Philippines at the Face of the ’80s world finals where she finished as 1st runner-up.
She produced and starred in her own bio-film “The Untold Story of Melanie Marquez” that won for her the Best Actress trophy at the Metro Manila Film Festival in 1987.
Melanie was voted as “The Most Beautiful Miss International” at an Internet poll in 2000. After marrying her fifth husband Adam Lawyer, she joined the 2005 Mrs. World Pageant where she was one of the 10 finalists.
Melanie had six children, including her eldest Manuelito, with former actor and Senator Lito Lapid, and a daughter with businessman Frederick Dee.
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2005 – Precious Lara Quigaman was 22 years old when she won as Bb. Pilipinas-International 2005 and eventually Miss International 2005 in Tokyo, Japan on Sept. 26, 2005 where she topped 61 other delegates worldwide for the country’s 4th Miss International crown.
Her runners-up were: the Dominican Republic’s Yadina Geara, first; and Finland’s Susanna Laine, second.
Born in Taguig City, Lara grew up in Biñan, Laguna, and later schooled in Manama, Bahrain and Bristol, England where her parents were working.
Lara eventually entered showbiz where she has done mainstream and indie movies. She has also co-starred in several teleseryes.
Lara married actor Marco Alcaraz on July 8, 2012 in a Christian wedding ceremony at Hacienda Isabela in Indang, Cavite. They have a 3-year-old son named Noah.