MISS WORLD Philippines 2017 winners signed up with Mother Lily Monteverde to be Millennial Regal Babies: Miss World Philippines titlist Laura Lehmann, Reina HispanoAmericana Filipinas Winwyn Marquez, Miss Eco Philippines Cynthia Thomalla, Miss Multinational Philippines Sophia Senoron and 1st runnerup Glyssa Leian Perez.
It will be Laura recalled that she impressed the pageants judges with her message about beauty pageants inspiring women empowerment: "To anyone who don’t believe in pageants, I would ask them to take a look at the girls that we have here tonight because we have lawyers, architects, women of substance who are here not only because of what they look like but because of what’s in their hearts, what’s in their mind, and because what they’ve brought forth is beauty with a purpose. They are helping represent the Philippines and become the best versions of the Filipina and for me that’s something only to celebrate not protest.”
Laura also won as Miss Cosmo Skin, Miss BYS Philippines and was one of the candidates who won the fast track challenges. Lehmann will represent the Philippines at the Miss World competition slated on November 18 in Sanya, China.
Laura was previously 1st runnerup in the 2014 Bb. Pilipinas. She’s the courtside reporter for the Ateneo Blue Eagles at the UAAP and later worked as a sports anchor for ABS-CBN's Sports in Action channel. She also hosted the lifestyle show Listed. She was also a part of the Philippine softball team. She did a lot of modeling work on the ramp and for print ads. It’s now secret she is in a relationship with PBA player Von Pessumal who’s very proud of her.
Winwyn Marquez is excited to be the country’s first representative in Reina HispanicoAmericana in Sta. Cruz, Bolivia. “Di familiar sa ating ang pageant but it has been going on for 28 years and now lang sila nag-invite ng Asian candidate and I’m flattered na ako yun,” she says. “Lahat ng mga Latina na nanalo sa ibang beauty pageants dumaan and it’s like a training ground for them before they join other international competitions. Ang winner nila last year was Miss Columbia with Miss Mexico as runnerup. I’m now taking Spanish classes but it’s impossible for me to learn it right away in such a short time. May interpreter naman daw sila roon for me.”
Will her parents, Alma Moreno and Joey Marquez, accompany her? “Hindi, both due to health reasons. My mom was not allowed her doctor to travel kasi 26 hours going to Bolivia. And my dad naman, may asthma.”
How about her boyfriend Mark Herras? “Hindi rin. Kasi ang mahal ng fare. More than P100,000 at sabi ko, baka ma-conscious lang ako kapag nandun siya. Ang sasama sa’kin is my brother, Kuya Yeoj. He volunteered kasi ang dami kong dalang maleta with my gowns and costumes para tulungan niya akong magbuhat.”
What will be her national costume? “It’s Pintados inspired, so medyo sexy siya. I also volunteered to do a dance number kasi nagtanong sila kung sino puede so I said, ako, ako! I’m really excited by also nervous. I promise to do my best.”
