ANOTHER Filipina has made history in the beauty pageant industry.
Filipina beauty Meranie Gadiana Rahman, who was representing Hawaii, took home the Mrs. Universe 2023 crown, making her the first Filipina to win in the 46 years of the pageant.
Rahman was crowned at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Pasay on October 8.
The beauty queen shared the news on her social media accounts, along with several photos from the coronation night.
Mrs. Universe Philippines also shared Rahman’s winning moment on its Facebook page and said, “Congratulations to our new MRS. Universe.”
Filipino netizens also congratulated Rahman for such a milestone.
India’s Kalpana Shukla won the first runner-up, followed by Philippines’ Arlene Cris Damot, Black Sea’s Emma Melik Adamian, and Moscow’s Anna Pechurina.
Apart from bagging the coveted title, Rahman also won the “Perfect Woman” award during the preliminary round.
While she represented Hawaii, the beauty queen showcased her Filipino roots by wearing creations of Filipino designers.
During the coronation night, Rahman wore an elegant fully-beaded white gown made by designer John Rhob Saliva Bombani.
Prior to this, she also dazzled in a pink flower costume made by another Filipino designer, Jeff Avenido, during the pageant’s national costume pageant. Rahman said that her costume depicted the “aloha spirit of Hawaii and the love, respect and kindness of Hawaiian community.”
Mrs. Universe is an annual international pageant that aims to discover “the world’s most outstanding married woman who’s looking to make a difference and make her mark in the world,” according to its website.
For Rahman, it is to advocate against domestic violence.
In a forum presentation video for Mrs. Universe on October 7, the beauty queen said she wants to address the problem by raising awareness and “empowering women and giving them assurance that they all have the strength to stand up to domestic abuse and violence.”
