MANILA, Philippines – Philippine bet Michelle Dee ended her Miss Universe 2023 journey in the Top 10 during the pageant’s finals night in El Salvador on Sunday, November 19.
The 28-year-old beauty queen from Makati was the sixth candidate to be called for the Top 10, but failed to make it to the Top 5 of the pageant.
The delegates moving on to the next round of competition are: Australia, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Thailand, and Colombia.
One of these candidates will succeed reigning titleholder R’Bonney Gabriel of the USA.
With Dee placing in the pageant’s Top 10, the Philippines is back into the semifinal round after last year’s pageant marked the country’s first early exit since 2010.
Dee was also one of the Gold winners for the pageant’s “Voice for Change” category, along with candidates from Angola and Puerto Rico. Dee’s entry focuses on autism acceptance, inclusivity, and empowerment.
The Philippines is home to four Miss Universe winners – Gloria Diaz (1969), Margie Moran (1973), Pia Wurtzbach (2015), and Catriona Gray (2018). – Rappler.com