There was no fiasco, no mishap and no horrible mistake, only colorful fireworks greeted the announcement of the winner of the last international beauty title for the year 2015. Mutya ng Pilipinas Asia-Pacific International Leren Mae Bautista bested 56 beauties from all parts of the globe for the title of Miss Tourism Queen of the Year International 2015/2016 during the finals held at Putrajaya Marriot Hotel Grand Ballroom in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Dec. 31.
The angelic and be-dimpled beauty from Los Baños, Laguna became the third Filipina to earn the distinction of being crowned on New Year’s Eve after Angeli Dione Gomez in 2013/14 and the late Rizzini Alexis Gomez in 2012/13 when the pair completed a back-to-back victory at the Miss Tourism International pageant also held in Kuala Lumpur.
Bautista, a 23-year-old, 5-foot-9, model and marketing management graduate at Colegio de San Juan de Letran, also won a subsidiary title as Miss KL SOGO Trendsetter.
Miss Uganda Sheila Kirabo was named Miss Tourism Metropolitan International 2015/16 while Miss Lithuania Irmina Presegalaviciute won as Miss Tourism Global International 2015/16. Miss Iceland Tanja Yr Asthorstoddir took the title Miss Tourism Cosmopolitan International 2015/16 and Miss India Chandni Sharma won as Dreamgirl of the Year International 2015/16.
Top 12 finalists also included the contestants from China, Malaysia, Mongolia, Belarus, Bolivia, Portugal and Dominican Republic. Other subsidiary awardees were Miss Focus Point Dazzling and Miss Tropicana Lifestyle for Iceland’s Asthorstoddir, Miss IDCC Congeniality for Mongolia’s Battsetseg Turbat, Miss GINTELL Wellness for India’s Sharma, Most Creative Selfie for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Iman Karovic and Miss Joyful KLIA for Uganda’s Kirabo.
Miss Malaysia Janet Fabian was named Miss Friendship while Miss Sweden Olivia Sophia Elisabeth Asplund was Best in Talent. Miss Indonesia Delvia Wirajaya won Best in National Costume and Miss Thailand won the social media contest.
The Miss Tourism Queen of the Year International, formerly known as Queen of the Year International, together with the Miss Tourism International pageant, organized by D’Touch International, under its president, Tan Sri Datuk Danny Ooi, also owns the Miss Malaysia Asia Pacific, Miss South East Asia, Miss Queen of Asia, Miss Malaysia Pageant, Miss Malaysia Queen of the Year and Miss Malaysia Tourism pageants which aim to help realize the dreams of ordinary people.