YOU have probably heard a lot about Michelle Marquez Dee in the past few days, whether it is through the headlines or content you see in your social media feed.
This, as the nation started to countdown the remaining days before the coronation night of the 72nd Miss Universe pageant in El Salvador, where the 28-year-old beauty queen will compete with dozens of delegates from all over the world to bring home the country’s fifth crown.
Dee kicked off this year’s pageant with a fierce performance during the preliminary competition today, November 16 (Manila time).
A true queen that she is, the Philippine bet was on fire as she dazzlingly strutted down the runway in the swimsuit and evening gown segments.
But Dee is not just a queen with a crown; she is a queen who has many jewels in her crown.
A daughter and a sister
Being a beauty queen is indeed flowing in Dee’s blood.
Born on April 24, 1995 in Makati City, the 28-year-old Pinay is the daughter of former actor Frederick “Derek” Dee and actress-beauty queen Melanie Marquez, who was crowned Miss International 1979. She is the youngest Miss International title holder at the age of 15.
For Dee, her mother is her lucky charm.
Marquez, on the other hand, is a proud mom to her daughter whom she described as a hardworking person.
“I’m just so proud of her kasi she really works so hard. Nakita ko talaga yung sipag niya, yung dedication niya, focus,” the Miss International 1979 told GMA’s 24 Oras, before she left for El Salvador to support her daughter.
There is also another actress-beauty queen in Dee’s family: her cousin Winwyn Marquez, who is the first Filipina to be crowned as Reina Hispanoamericana in 2017.
Dee has one sister named Maxine and four half-siblings: Miguelito, Adam, Mazen, and Abraham.
Adam and Mazen are Dee’s brothers who are on the autism spectrum. They are the beauty queen’s driving force to continue advocating for autism awareness.
An advocate
Dee is currently the Goodwill Ambassador of Autism Society Philippines (ASP), the largest autism non-governmental organization in Southeast Asia.
The ASP is on a mission to empower individuals on the autism spectrum by bringing out the best of their potential.
In her advocacy video for the “Voice for Change” poll of the 72nd Miss Universe pageant, Dee shared that the organization launched a program to give jobs to more than 250 neurodiverse individuals in 53 enterprises across 10 provinces in the Philippines.
Dee noted that these people face lower employment rates of up to 80 percent and higher rates of social isolation globally.
The beauty queen said she wants to rewrite this narrative, which is why she is passionate about promoting autism awareness to build a more inclusive world.
“These remarkable individuals have found not just jobs but meaningful careers. It’s a testament to what is possible when we prioritize inclusivity and harnessing the untapped potential of these individuals,” she said in the clip.
Dee is not just a staunch advocate for autism awareness but also a proud ally of the LGBTQIA+ community, as she herself is a member of it.
In May, Dee revealed that she identified herself as bisexual when she graced the cover of a Mega Magazine special issue.
“I definitely identify myself as bisexual. I’ve identified with that for as long as I can remember,” she told Mega magazine. “I’m attracted to all forms of beauty, all shapes and sizes.”
She promised during this year’s celebration of Pride Month that she would raise both the Philippine flag and the LGBTQIA+ flag in the Miss Universe 2023 pageant in El Salvador.
A beauty queen
Prior to winning the Miss Universe Philippines 2023 crown, Dee already reigned as Miss World Philippines in 2019.
She represented the country in the 2019 Miss World competition, where she finished in the Top 12.
Truth be told, being a beauty queen never crossed her mind until she set foot on a pageant stage as a judge for Mister World.
In an interview with Preview in 2022, Dee shared that it was the pageant fans’ support that prompted her to try her luck in the pageantry, and she has been unstoppable ever since.
She joined the Miss Universe Philippines 2022 pageant, bagging the Miss Universe Philippines Tourism 2022 title.
But on her second try on the pageant, Dee finally bagged the coveted Miss Universe Philippines crown.
The 28-year-old Filipina is currently competing in El Salvador to bring home the Philippines’ fifth Miss Universe title.
An actress
While doing her duties as a beauty queen, Dee is also balancing her responsibilities as an actress.
The actress-beauty queen, who is currently being handled by talent agency Sparkle GMA Artist Center, has starred in several films and television series since 2019.
Because of her excellent acting performance, Dee won the Best New Movie Actress award at the 36th PMPC Star Awards in 2021 for her portrayal of Gianna in the 2019 film “Because I Love You.” This was her first-ever acting award.
In 2023, the Sparkle artist starred in the film “Keys to the Heart,” the Philippine adaptation of a South Korean drama film of the same name, and in the series “Mga Lihim ni Urduja” aired by GMA Network.
A servant to the country
Dee has been expressive about her love for the country.
On top of her preparations for the Miss Universe 2023 pageant, she announced that she had begun her training to be part of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) in September. She already received a certificate of attendance for attending several Basic Citizen Military Training (BCMT) sessions in October.
“In spite of her busy schedule preparing for the Ms Universe Pageant, she has spared time to begin the BCMT, and hopefully, she will soon complete the training and earn her reservist rank,” the PAF said in a statement.
The reserve force may be deployed in the event of war, invasion, rebellion, disaster or calamities to assist in the government’s socio-economic development efforts.
Dee had hinted about her attire for the National Costume competition tomorrow, November 17 (Manila time), by sharing a clip of her receiving her certificate of attendance from the PAF.
