MISS Universe Philippines 2023 Michelle Marquez Dee made it as one of the top 10 finalists at the 72nd Miss Universe held at Gimnasio Nacional José Adolfo Pineda Arena in San Salvador, El Salvador Saturday night (yesterday morning PH time).
The coveted crown went to model Sheynnis Palacios Cornejo, 23, who from Nicaragua.
Thailand’s Anntonia Porsild was first runner-up while Australia’s Moraya Wilson was second runner-up.
Palacios became the first woman from the central American country to win as Miss Universe; was crowned by Rbonney Gabriel, the first Filipino-American to win as Miss USA and Miss Universe.
Dee, a 28-year-old, 5-foot-9 actress and model, first advanced to the top 20 at the beginning of the live proceedings that were broadcast worldwide as well as through Miss Universe social media platforms.
The top 20 were arrived at after the pageant’s selection committee narrowed down the original 84 delegates at the preliminary competitions last Thursday where the ladies paraded in swimwear by Rubin Singer and evening gowns of their own choice.
For the preliminaries, Michelle, a Psychology graduate of De La Salle University, chose a red one-piece swimsuit, reminiscent of the cut and style worn by her mother, Melanie Marquez Lawyer, when she won as Miss International in Tokyo, Japan in 1979.
For her preliminary evening gown, Michelle wore an edgy, emerald green creation by renowned designer Mark Bumgarner, a tribute likewise to her mom’s serpentina Renee Salud gown of the same color, at the Miss International pageant in 1979.
At yesterday’s finals, Michelle wore another Bumgarner number in black with embroidered and beaded tattoo patterns, as an homage to cultural icon Whang-od, the 106-year-old tattoo artist, the last of her kind, from Kalinga, northern Philippines.
It was a defining moment for the actress-model who initially placed first runner-up at Miss Universe Philippines 2022, after a respectable top 12 finish at the Miss World in London, England.
Michelle, a GMA Sparkle Artist, returned to Miss Universe Philippines earlier this year for what she called “unfinished business.”
Although Michelle failed to advance to the penultimate top 5 cut, she was able to take home two awards: the Gold award for the pageant’s Voice for Change Campaign presented by jeweler Mouawad and CI Talk.
Michelle won the campaign by garnering the most votes online for her 3-minute talk on her advocacy that is dedicated to autism awareness for individuals on the spectrum, inspired by two of her siblings with autism.
Karla Guilfú from Puerto Rico and Ana Coimbra from Angola were the two other winners. They each won $12,000.
Another pageant sponsor, Carnival Cruise Lines awarded Michelle the “Spirit of Carnival” trophy for being “the delegate who embodies the company’s values of fun, friendship, diversity and inclusion.”
