Natasha Angela Manuel won the first Jewel of the World Philippines title at the glittering finals of the Jewel of the Philippines 2016 pageant held at Tanghalang Pasigueño in Pasig City.
The 21-year-old accountancy major at University of San Carlos won the Miss Cebu title in 2014. She works as a freelance model with Moonwalk Cebu and Limerick Production and Model Management and as accountant at Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation. Manuel earned the right to compete at the Jewel of the World pageant to be held in Manila early next year.
Jewel of the Philippines 2016 also crowned Inna Patricia Gita as Miss Globe International Philippines, Romellean Joy Pontino as Miss United Continents Philippines, Cindy de Vera as Miss Charity Queen International Philippines and Gladys Louise Santos as Miss World Peace Philippines.
Gita, a 20-year-old, model and student majoring in Mass Communication-Broadcasting at Bulacan State University (BSU), also won best in swimsuit. She won Binibining Unibersidad (BSU) 2012 and was a grand finalist in It’s Showtime “Gandang Babae” contest in 2014. Gita will vie at the Miss Globe International in Istanbul, Turkey in 2017.
Pontino, 19, graduated at Sierra College, Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya. The Information Technology major was named best in long gown. Pontino will be sent to Ecuador to compete at the Miss United Continents pageant in 2017.
De Vera, a 23-year-old freelance model, finished Architecture and works with SC&A Architects and Planners. She will represent the country at the 2016 Miss Charity Queen International in Taipei.
Santos, a 20-year-old BS Hospitality Management holder from Polytechnic University of the Philippine, is an intern at Diamond Hotel Manila. She will be the country’s bet at the Miss World Peace pageant to be held in China in 2017.
Jewel of the Philippines 2016 was organized by stage and pageant director John de la Vega, with the vision to celebrate the power and beauty of modern-day Filipina. Beauty Queens Karla Henry, Nina Ricci Alagao and Kris Tiffany Janson hosted the finals, which will be aired on GMA New TV at 9 tonight.