Twenty-five-year-old Bicolona Rachel Peters beat 39 other hopefuls in a glitzy hours-long beauty contest focused on finding the next queens to represent the country on international pageant stages including the most prestigious Miss Universe.
The new Miss Universe Philippines, a title she rightfully deserved after winning at the annual Binibining Pilipinas pageant last Sunday, has interesting facts about herself that make pageant fans believe she can replicate the success of the country’s third Miss Universe titleholder, Pia Wurtzbach.
Miss World hopeful
Before she entered Binibining Pilipinas, Rachel joined the Miss World Philippines 2014 pageant, where she placed 4th Princess to Valerie Weigmann. And as you can see, her dream to conquer an international pageant stage didn’t end there. She worked hard and trained even harder that’s why she’s one of the top bets of pageant fans to ultimately win the Binibini crown.
An outdoorsy person
Maxine Medina’s successor enjoys outdoor adventures a lot. She loves travelling to local and foreign destinations, and being a resident of Camarines Sur, the same province she represented in the pageant, Rachel loves the beach and the water. Based on her Instagram feed, the 5-foot-9 stunner is an avid fan of water sports being a professional surfer herself.
Has a blooming love life
Rachel is currently dating Camarines Sur Governor Migz Villafuerte. In an interview with reporters after coronation night, the young governor compared Rachel’s win to his victory during the 2016 elections. Villafuerte has been the beauty queens number 1 fan since the pageant started. He consistently cheered his girlfriend and even called her “the most genuine, sexiest, and most beautiful of them all” even before she won the crown.
Beauty and brains
According to her Bb. Pilipinas profile, Rachel completed her International Baccalaureate at the British School in Phuket, Thailand, and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business, Tourism and Events from La Trobe University in Australia. This explains why Rachel is comfortable with different cultures as she’s been exposed to them early in her life.
Event Organizer
Rachel had the opportunity to organize events for international artists. “I have been lucky enough to work with Katy Perry and Christina Aguilera,” she said in a short Bb. Pilipinas video. Additionally, she’s worked with Midas Promotions to organize Jessie J and The Script’s shows when these international music acts visited Manila as part of their tour.
A budding artist
Apart from being an avid concertgoer, a pet lover, and a fitness enthusiast, the Fil-Brit beauty queen also has a passion for the art. During a trip to Sip & Gogh in Alabang, Rachel painted her own version of ‘Starry Night.’ She also did a couple small paintings of parrots and flowers, which proudly shared on her social media account.