THE most beautiful night for the transgender women community is about to take place.

The much-awaited coronation night of the Miss International Queen Philippines is set to take place on Saturday, March 11, at Aliw Theater in Pasay City.

This is the second staging of the pageant for transgender women under an exclusive franchise granted to Michelle Montecarlo, the pageant’s national director and a finalist in the Miss International Queen 2012. It is the same pageant where the Philippines’ Kevin Balot clinched the first-ever Miss International Queen crown.

For this year, some 25 transgender women across the Philippines are vying to follow in the footsteps of Fuschia Anne Ravena, the reigning Miss International Queen Philippines and the third pageant titleholder from the Philippines after Balot and Trixie Maristela.

Here are some of the transgender icons and pageant veterans to watch out for in the 2023 edition:

Lars Pacheco

A known “kontesera,” entrepreneur, and content creator, Lars Pacheco is said to be one of this year’s frontrunners at the Miss International Queen Philippines tilt. 

This is the second time Pacheco has joined the pageant and ended up as a semi-finalist. 

She is an advocate for causes to help elderly gays in Manila.

Pacheco rose to fame when she joined the Miss Q&A contest and was hailed the second runner-up. The Miss Q&A is a pageant segment for gay and transgender women in the ABS-CBN show It’s Showtime.

Barbie Alawi

A fresh name in the national pageant, Barbie Alawi represents Zamboanga City in the Miss International Queen Philippines pageant. She is a half-Filipino and half-Moroccan

Alawi is a licensed physician, and according to her, she would like to advocate for the welfare of transgender women, particularly with regard to their attainment of academic excellence.

She is also a brand endorser, aside from being a doctor.

Tamira Ivonne Willis

Tamira Willis is a Negros-based transgender woman. She is known as a veteran in the world of pageantry and as a lifestyle content creator. Aside from being an avid pageant joiner, she is also the owner of a clothing brand.

Through her content, Willis promotes body positivity and creates relatable lifestyle vlogs. Most of her content revolve around nature, beauty, fashion, and tourism.

Anne Patricia Lorenzo

Anne Patricia Lorenzo is a known pageant veteran and one of the “beaucon icons” of the LGBTQIA+ community, along with Matmat Centino and Lars Pacheco, her fellow Miss Q&A winners.

Lorenzo was recently crowned Miss Q&A Kween of the Multibeks, the 2022 edition of the gay pageant segment of It’s Showtime. 

This is the second time Lorenzo joined the Miss International Queen Philippines pageant after finishing first runner-up in 2022. 

She tendered her resignation in order to join the 2023 edition of the Miss International Queen Philippines. 

The winner of the Miss International Queen Philippines is set to represent the Philippines at the 2023 edition of Miss International Queen pageant in Pattaya, Thailand.