THREE times indeed is the charm!
After joining three different national pageants, Christine Juliane (CJ) Opiaza now took home a crown as she was hailed Miss Grand Philippines 2024 last night, September 29.
In the coronation held at Newport World Resorts in Pasay City, the beauty queen hailing from Castillejos, Zambales also hauled five special awards, namely, Best in Swimsuit, Miss Photogenic, Miss Multimedia, Miss Mestiza, and Miss Aqua Boracay.
The pasarela coach was expectedly flawless as she sashayed in blue swimsuit and elegantly paraded her one shoulder cut out evening gown encrusted in honey colored Swarovski crystals and embroidery in Mumbai designed by Mara Chua.
But what sealed the deal was her winning response to the Q&A portion of the pageant, where she was asked, “Do you think winning beauty queens also deserve the rewards and the incentives that the Olympic athletes get from the government, private sector, and other establishments?”
To which CJ answered, “Being able to stand here is already a reward for us. Actually, I think that we actually don’t need an incentive or a monetary reward to be able to be seen or to be heard. Just the very platform like this is already championing the lives of the people believing us, the people [whom] we inspire. I hope all the beauty queens here will continue their legacy to push for their causes and present themselves around the world.”
The 26 year old beauty queen bested 19 other candidates with Sophia Bianca Santos from Pampanga as Universal Woman Philippines 2025, Anna Margaret Mercado from Quirino as Miss Teen International – Philippines 2024, and Jubilee Therese Acosta from Manila and Alexandra Mae Rosales from Laguna as 1st and 2nd runner-ups respectively.
Pageant veteran
It was no surprise that CJ was the frontrunner in the MGPH 2024 as she has joined one national pageant after another in the past two years.
She was a finalist in Binibining Pilipinas 2022. The author has personal knowledge that during the competition, when the Miss Grand Philippines crown was still under Binibining Pilipinas franchise, CJ was already eyeing the MGPH crown.
The following year, CJ competed in Miss Universe Philippines and was sashed 1st runner up.
This is on top of her winning Miss Bikini Philippines in 2016.
Fans are now hoping that CJ will bring home the first golden crown for the Philippines. So far, the closest the country has ever been to the elusive MGI crown were Nicole Cordoves in 2016 and Samantha Bernardo in 2020/2021, after both getting 1st runner up placements.
While the coronation night for Miss Grand International 2024 is set on October 25 in Thailand, CJ will be rushing her preparations as preliminary pageant activities will already start on October 4 in Cambodia.
