LAST TWO – With this third installment, beauty expert Jay P. Delgado ends his series on Filipinas who won the Miss International title, a Highspeed exclusive.
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2013 – Bea Rose Monterde Santiago was 23 years old when she became the fifth Filipina to win as Miss International in Tokyo, Japan on Dec. 17, 2013, where she bested 66 delegates worldwide including 1st runner-up Nathalie den Dekker of the Netherlands and 2nd runner-up Casey Radley of New Zealand.
Bea was the third Filipina to win a major world beauty title in 2013 following the victories of Mutya Datul as the first Asian Miss Supranational and Megan Young as the first Filipina Miss World.
Born in Muntinlupa City, Bea grew up in Cataingan, Masbate and later schooled at York University in Toronto, Canada where her mother was working.
She was named the Prettiest Filipina in Toronto in 2010, Mutya ng Pilipinas-Overseas Communities 2011, Miss Tourism Queen of the Year International 2012 top 10 finalist, and Bb. Pilipinas-International 2013 en route to her victory as the 5th Filipina Miss International.
Bea continues to be a much sought-after model and events host.
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2016 – Kylie Fausto Verzosa, 24, from Baguio City, was crowned the 56th Miss International in Tokyo, Japan on Oct. 27, 2016, when she topped the field of 69 delegates worldwide including 1st runner-up Alexandra Britton of Australia, 2nd runner-up Felicia Hwang of Indonesia, 3rd runner-up Brianny Chamorro of Nicaragua, and 4th runner-up Kaityrana Leinbach of the USA.
Kylie is a pre-school teacher who was crowned Bb. Pilipinas-International 2016 at the 53rd national beauty pageant at the Big Dome last April, winning on her second attempt after a semi-final finish last year. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at Ateneo de Manila University, Kylie went on to volunteer at the Natasha Goulbourn Foundation where she teaches people about mental health.
With Kylie’s victory, the Philippines now has 15 winners in so-called “grand slam” pageants as follows: 3 Misses Universe, 1 Miss World, 6 Misses International, 3 Misses Earth, 1 Miss Supranational, and 1 Miss Tourism Queen International.