The gathering of the most beautiful women all around the world to compete for the most coveted crown has been a yearly tradition. These women from all over the world dream that one day they would bring home the crown and make their country proud.
The Miss Universe Pageant has always been dominated by countries like the USA and Venezuela. People usually expect the winners to come from these countries. However, for some countries like the Philippines, they have a lot to prove.
This year was different though. Miss Philippines, Pia Wurtzbach took home the crown after 42 years. According to an article in Good News Pilipinas, the journey to the miss universe crown took 42 years for Miss Philippines.
It was your non-traditional Miss Universe pageant after the program host, Steve Harvey mistakenly announce a different winner. After crowning Miss Colombia, Ariadna Gutiérrez, Harvey admitted that he made a mistake and that the true winner should be Miss Philippines, Pia Wurtzbach.
Amidst the controversy surrounding the program, the 26-year-old beauty queen was named the 64th Miss Universe on Sunday at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, USA. Miss Colombia, Gutiérrez was named first runner up and Miss USA, Olivia Jordan was second runner-up.
Out of 80 contestants, Wurtzbach outshined every single one of them. During the question and answer portion for the top five, she was asked, "Earlier this year, there was a controversy in the Philippines about the United States reopening of military base in your country. Do you think the United States should have a military presence in your country?" She answered, "I think that the United States and the Philippines have always had a good relationship with each other. We were colonized by the Americans and we have their culture and our traditions even up to this day and I think that we're very welcoming with the Americans. And I don't see any problem with that at all."
Finally, when it was down to the top 3, she even wowed everyone when she was asked why she thinks she should be the next Miss Universe. The Philippine pride answered humbly and confidently, "To be a Miss Universe is both an honor and responsibility. If I were to be Miss Universe, I will use my voice to influence the youth and I would raise awareness to certain causes like HIV awareness that is timely and relevant to my country which is the Philippines. I want to show the world, the universe rather, that I am confidently beautiful with a heart. Thank you."
And now they can truly say that after 42 years, the Philippines conquered the universe through grace and beauty inside and out.