MAKATI CITY—The Miss World Philippines (MWP) organization will still keep the March 31 deadline it imposed for the filing of applications despite the government’s tighter “NCR plus” quarantine protocols implemented to arrest the alarming increase in COVID-19 cases in the metropolis and neighboring provinces.
“As of today, we have not adjusted or moved the deadline,” MWP General Manager Arnold Mercado told the Inquirer in an exclusive online interview on March 24.
The organization is planning to hold its coronation ceremonies in June. It has recently announced an additional national title among its roster of crowns—the Miss Environment Philippines title, whose bearer will represent the Philippines in the maiden edition of the Miss Environment International pageant in India in November.
“For some, eight crowns are too many. For us, we want more Filipino women to have the chance to represent our beautiful country internationally,” Mercado explained.
Aside from the Miss Environment Philippines crown and Miss World Philippines’ main title, the national pageant will also choose the next Miss Supranational Philippines, Miss Eco Philippines, Miss Eco Teen Philippines, Reina Hispanoamericana Filipinas, Miss Multinational Philippines, and Miss Philippines Tourism.
“We are still negotiating with an international tourism pageant for our Miss Philippines Tourism,” Mercado added.
As with MWP, the Miss World, Miss Supranational, Miss Eco International, and Miss Multinational pageants also postponed their 2020 editions because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Miss Eco International is now taking place in Egypt and will culminate on April 6, while the Miss World pageant will stage its 70th edition in Puerto Rico on Dec. 16.
Mercado said the Miss Multinational pageant is tentatively scheduled in June in India, and 2019 titleholder Isabelle de Leon will still get the chance to compete abroad.
The MWP now gives Filipino women the most opportunities to represent the country abroad, with an age bracket of 16 to 28 years old. It is also the national pageant that gives chances to a greater segment of the population.
MWP applicants must hold Filipino citizenship and have never been married nor borne a child.
Application forms may be downloaded at the pageant’s official Facebook page and should be submitted to [email protected] or [email protected].
“We are looking for candidates who are beautiful inside and out, genuine, authentic, confident, someone we can easily work with, and someone who is ready and willing to help and do charity,” Mercado shared.
The organization is also looking for applicants to the counterpart male pageant Mister World Philippines, who Mercado said should be “a looker with good body proportions.”
Candidates who are athletic or “can excel in physical activities, confident, articulate, and willing to do charity work” are preferred, he added.
The organization is planning to conduct its search via a daily segment in a noontime variety show, that is why no deadline has been set yet.
Aside from Mister World Philippines’ main title, the pageant will also crown the next Mister Supranational Philippines and Mister Tourism Philippines.
