In case you missed it last night: Asia’s Next Top Model is… Maureen Wroblewitz!

After four cycles of being runners-up, a Filipina has finally won Asia’s Next Top Model. Maureen beat Mihn Tu Nguyen from Vietnam and Shikin Gomez from Malaysia.

According to Maureen, being the last Filipina standing was what motivated her to work harder. “The whole time I thought like maybe me and another Filipina might get the top spots. But by the third episode, the other Filipinas were gone! Suddenly I was alone,” she told us during the finale screening at The Palace Pool Club. “That motivated me to do my best because a Filipina has never won.”

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The 19-year-old Filipina-German model won best photo twice, despite being considered the underdog for her inexperience and height. (She’s the shortest!) She was even bullied for it in some episodes. “For a time, it made me feel insecure. I thought that I have to prove them wrong. I wanted to show them that I deserved this. It was actually good motivation for me.”

Meanwhile, model and Cycle 2 runner-up Jodilly Pendre was also ecstatic for Maureen’s win. “She deserved it because she worked hard for it. Also, for me, it’s like a sweet vengeance for me because finally [a Filipina won!]” she said. “If you watched from episode one to the finale, you’ll see how she grew and how she improved.”

Jodilly added that she’s looking forward to working with Maureen in modeling gigs in the future.

As winner of AsNTM, Maureen is on the cover of Nylon Singapore and signed under Storm Model Management in London.

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When asked about what she can bring to the European modeling world, Maureen said she’s confident that she can adapt. “The thing with me, I feel, is that I’m versatile. I can be fierce and sweet,” she said. “[The judges always told me] that I have the face to make it in Asia, as well as other countries.”

We can’t wait to see what’s next for you, Maureen. Congratulations!

Photo courtesy of Star World via Maureen Wroblewitz’s Instagram account

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