Alexandra Faith Garcia gave the Philippines another international beauty title on its first participation in the Miss Aura International 2021. Garcia bested 35 other contestants from around the world during the finals held Sunday night at Rixos Sungate in Antalya, Turkey.
Garcia was crowned by outgoing Miss Aura International 2020 Andreia Correia of Portugal. Miss Romania Alexandra Stroe was named first runner up, with Miss Ukraine Katerina Pidkopai as second runner up and Miss Colombia Maria Del Mar Meza and Miss France Cassandra de Soussa, finishing as third and fourth runners-up, respectively.
Garcia, who is a 27-year-old Tourism Management graduate from Olongapo City, was handpicked by the Miss Aura International Philippines Organization through a special screening due to the pandemic restrictions.
A pageant veteran, Garcia had joined Mutya ng Pilipinas 2014, Reyna ng Aliwan 2015 and Bb. Pilipinas 2016 and 2021 before finally representing the Philippines in an international beauty contest. Also an actress, she was part of the cast of Jose Javier Reyes’ film “No Boyfriend Since Birth.”
“We did it, Philippines!” a victorious Garcia posted on Instagram.
The former triathlete champion who works as Operations Head of RED Sports PH, a sporting-event company, supports Dialysis PH, a non-government-organization that provides healthcare support to indigent kidney disease patients.
Garcia took preparatory training with the prestigious KF beauty camp headed by pageant queen maker Rodin Gilbert Flores.
“Faith has never been more confident in herself, and I believe she is 100 percent prepared for the Miss Aura International pageant,” Flores said before sending Garcia off to Turkey.
During the finals, Miss Philippines paraded in an elegant Sampaguita-inspired national costume with the Calesa designed by Jorick Lopez Limpag, while her shimmering silver ensemble during the evening gown competition was designed by Cathy Mora-Capistrano.