Beauty queens Michele Gumabao and Eva Patalinjug on Wednesday showed that they can handle the pressure in international pageants. The two will represent the country in upcoming overseas competitions.

Patalinjug, Binibining Pilipinas Grand International 2018 winner, said she will do her best as she has learned lessons from past competitions that led her to bag the country’s first Miss Grand International title.

“I have lessons that when it comes to life, you have to do the best that you can and to be yourself because if your are caught up to the pressure and caught up to what the people want you to be, you will lose yourself, eh,” Patalinjug told the reporters during a farewell party held for them at the Novotel Araneta Center.

Patalinjug was also crowned Mutya ng Pilipinas in 2014.

Gumabao, who won Binibining Pilipinas Globe 2018, used her stint as a competitive Creamline Volleyball player to win the Miss Globe 2018 title.

“Being a volleyball player, the discipline, the hard work that comes with it, I channeled that to be a beauty queen,” she said.

Gumabao said she prepared well for the competition as she knows she will face at pageant alone or with  fewer people around her.

“I don’t have people to turn to at the moment so I have to be able to do everything by myself mentally, emotionally and physically. So I am trying to prepare as much so that when I am there, I will be strong not only physically but my mind and my heart [as well],” she said.

Gumabao will compete for the Miss Globe 2018 tilt to be held  in Albania on Oct. 21 while Patalinjug is vying for the Miss Grand International 2018 title set for Oct. 25 in Yangon. /ee