OLONGAPO City’s Alexandra Faith Garcia, 28, won the 16th Miss Aura International Pageant in Antalya, Turkey last Sunday night (Monday morning PH time) after besting the field of 30 delegates worldwide, succeeding outgoing queen Andreia Correia of Portugal.
Garcia, 28, a triathlon champion and entrepreneur, became the first Filipina to win the pageant. She is also the first woman ever to represent the Philippines at the international tilt owned by Turkish impresario Adnan Seker.
Faith, as Garcia is fondly called, was handpicked by Katniss Griffiths, a US-based Filipina who hold the Miss Aura International franchise for the Philippines.
Griffiths chose Faith for possessing the pageant’s 4B criteria: Beauty, Brains, Body and Behavior – qualities resonated by Beker when asked why Faith won after the finals in Turkey.
Wearing a beaded silver gown by Cathy Mora Capistrano, Faith burst into tears after she was announced the winner as she was hugged by Romania’s Alexandra Stroe who placed as first runner-up.
The other winners were Ukraine’s Katerina Pidkopai, second runner-up; Colombia’s Maria del Mar Meza, third runner-up and France’s Cassandra de Soussa, fourth runner-up.
Faith is extremely happy and forever grateful to Griffiths and her managing agent in Manila Jovita Laureola, as well as to her glam team headed by Jino Wilfredo Esteban and Miguel West, and Kagandahang Flores family led by Rodgil Flores who has coached her for her skills on stage in her pageant journeys over the years.
Faith is scheduled to return to Manila after fulfilling her commitments as winner in Turkey.
