ONE of the downsides of engaging in social media is that a lot of people have made it the standard of worth and beauty. But Binibining Pilipinas International 2022 Nicole Borromeo hopes that individuals, especially the young ones, never base their beauty on what they see on the internet.

This is because beauty is found within themselves and not somewhere else, Borromeo told republicasia during her send-off event at the Gateway Mall in Quezon City on Wednesday.

“Beauty is in the person’s heart,” she said.

While it is true that physically attractive persons can catch someone else’s attention, the Cebuana beauty queen noted that the true beauty of a person is not based on their appearance.

“As cheesy as it sounds, what makes you stay is the person’s intentions, the person’s heart, it’s not just skin-deep. It’s much deeper than that,” Borromeo said.

The beauty queen met her supporters and talked to the members of the press on Wednesday before leaving the country for Japan to represent the Philippines at the Miss International pageant. 

The send-off event was also attended by Borromeo’s Binibini sisters, Binibining Pilipinas Globe 2023 Annalena Lakrini, Binibining Pilipinas 2022 2nd runner-up Stacey Gabriel, Binibining Pilipinas 2023 2nd runner-up Atasha Reign Parani, Binibining Pilipinas 2023 1st runner-up Katrina Anne Johnson, and Binibining Pilipinas Intercontinental 2022 Gabrielle Basiano.

The Miss International 2023 will be held on October 26, at the Yoyogi Gymnasium No. 2 in Tokyo.

No swimsuit parade

There have been big changes in the beauty pageants in the country, including the Miss International.

The global competition announced in July that the swimsuit parade will no longer be part of its final gala. 

Instead, the swimsuit evaluation will be done during the closed door preliminary evaluation.

Borromeo will be vying for the country’s seventh Miss International crown. The last time the Philippines took home the title was during Kylie Versoza’s reign in 2016.

Borromeo’s predecessor, Hannah Arnold, finished in the Top 15 last year.