Without much fanfare, two Filipina beauties recently competed and nearly walked away with the crowns in a pair of newly organized beauty pageants abroad proving once again that the Filipina beauty will always be a force to be reckoned with.
Alfe Marie Nathanile Dagle Uy, a 25-year-old, 5-foot-7, trading company personnel manager in Dubai, UAE, was named first runner-up in Miss Asia 2015 held in Kochi, Kerala, India. Local bet Kanika Kapur from New Delhi, a 20-year-old, student of Journalism and Mass Communication bested 12 other contestants from the region including Miss Azerbaijan Djeyla Quliyeva, a 23-year-old, model who finished second runner up.
Uy was a former varsity volleyball captain in Siliman University and ambassador of Philippines Youth Green Army Foundation. She reigned as Miss Teen Philippines International in 2007 and was first runner-up in Miss Fil-Independence Dubai 2015. She is presently involved in community works to help fellow Filipino-OFWs in UAE.
Miss Asia, organized by PEGASUS and sponsored by Manappuram Finance Lmt., the highest credited rated gold loan company in India, should not be confused with the Manila based-Miss Asia Quest (now Miss Asia-Pacific International), considered as the first and oldest beauty pageant in Asia when it began in 1968. The Miss Asia finals concluded sans the usual bikini round with the girls competing only in national costume, black cocktail and white gown.
Meanwhile, Divine Ezrha Canaceli, an 18-year-old, student taking up Travel Management at Our Lady of Fatima University-Quezon City, placed second Runner-Up at the inaugural edition of World Beauty Queen 2015 contest at Tiger Beach, Incheon, Korea on Aug. 22. Kazune Oshima of Japan became the first World Beauty Queen title-holder beating Veronika Stafanova of Bulgaria, first Runner-Up, Natalia Janoszek of Poland, third Runner-Up and Elizabeth Mishina of Russia, fourth Runner-Up.
Canaceli, a 5-foot-7 resident of Caloocan and Top 10 finalist in Miss Bikini Philippines 2015, was earlier named among the Top 5 in the swimsuit event. The World Beauty Queen pageant which looks for the most physically attractive beauty as winner, got just about a dozen contestants who spent two weeks of pre-pageant activities in the famous Korean city.