Camelle Mercado won the Miss United Continents beauty pageant crown on Saturday in Portoviejo, Ecuador (Sunday in Manila), the second for the Philippines.
The local organization of Miss United Continents congratulated Mercado for her feat, posting on its official social media page: “CONGRATULATIONS!!! MISS UNITED CONTINENTS 2022—CAMELLE MERCADO. We’re so proud of you!!! Mabuhay Pilipinas!”
Before this, Mercado was more famously known for tripping on stage in the evening gown competition of the 2019 Miss World Philippines pageant.
“At that moment I felt embarrassed and discouraged. But while standing up from that fall, I had become stronger. I will always stand tall and continue what I have started,” she said at the Ecuador event.
“Fast forward today, I am spreading my wings again and this time our country, Filipinas, is carved across my heart,” Mercado added.
The Filipina said the pageant was life-changing for her as she beat out Ivanova Velez from the host country, who finished first runner-up.
They were followed by Karen Ortiz from Colombia, Lis Arbelaes from Venezuela, Gretha Matiauda from Paraguay, and Ayram Ortiz from Mexico.