Miss World 2018 Vanessa Ponce de Leon arrived in Manila on Tuesday for a brief visit to promote the forthcoming Mr. World 2019, which is being hosted for the first time in the Philippines.
The 27-year-old model and International Commerce graduate is scheduled to attend a fund-raising charity event under the auspices of the Miss World Organization (MWO), headed by MWO chairwoman Julia Morley.
Captivating in an orange dress, an engaging De Leon met with the press at the Novotel all-purpose hall. “I hope I can keep working with “Beauty with a Purpose” and the Miss World Organization which is doing an amazing job, raising funds and charity works all over the world, as you know. I’m gonna be opening my own non-profit, for sure, and I’ll keep encouraging people to do good and help others,” said the first Mexican to win Miss World on her future plans.
“It’s my first time in the Philippines and it’s like magic, the weather is fantastic, I’m feeling Mexico!,” De Leon said. “I still don’t know about the schedule but probably we will be seeing Father Rocky and his project which the MWO has been helping for many years here in the Philippines,” De Leon added. Father Rocky Evangelista heads the Tuloy Foundation which houses and teaches poor street children, one of the project beneficiaries of MWO in cooperation with the Miss World Philippines organization, headed by Arnold Vegafria.
The reigning Miss World arrived together with reigning Mr. World 2016 Rohit Khandelwal of India who will crown a new Mr. World 2019 at the finals of the 10th edition of Mr. World to be held on August 23, 2019. Mr. World Philippines JB Saliba will compete against almost a hundred of the world’s most desirable men.