VANESSA Pulgarin of Colombia has made history as the winner of the first edition of MGI All Stars in a competition held here on Saturday evening, May 30.
Pulgarin bested 55 other aspirants at the conclusion of the “Grand Final” at the MGI Hall in Bangkok, held two weeks since the candidates arrived in the “Land of Smiles” for the groundbreaking competition from the team behind the Miss Grand International pageant.
The competition gathered those who have already taken part or won in an international pageant, and was open to women 20 to 40 years old regardless of marital status. Even mothers and transgender women were allowed to compete.
Pulgarin was a heavy favorite for the title since her participation in MGI All Stars was confirmed. She was just in Thailand in November last year for the 74th Miss Universe pageant where she finished in the Top 10.
During the question-and-answer round, she was asked: “What qualities do you possess that make you a star and allow everyone to see it clearly?”
Her winning answer: “I’m born for this, this is my biggest dream. It doesn’t matter what door is closing, you need to trust in yourself. Doesn’t matter if a person say, ‘No, you can’t do it.’ You can. Because we are power, we are disciplined. And I’m here because I want to win MGI All Stars. Because I’m born for the stage, I’m born for the connection with the people. I’m here because I work hard.”
Faith Maria Porter of Ghana settled for first runner-up win. Porter has been a strong contender for the crown, topping the preliminary swimsuit and “bare-face” competitions based on the judges’ scores. She was third runner-up in last year’s Miss Grand International pageant won by Emma Tiglao of the Philippines.
Vietnam’s Huong Giang Nguyen was second runner-up.
The Philippines’ Gazini Ganados, while also among the early favorites to win, ended her MGI All Stars journey at the Top 5 after the question-and-answer round.
Public votes played a significant role in determining the competition’s outcome, as 30 percent of the candidates’ scores in every stage of the competition were from the fan votes cast online.
The pageant was hosted by Filipinas queens, reigning Miss Grand International Emma Tiglao and Miss Universe Philippines 2023 Michelle Dee, and Ecuadorian actor-TV host Danilo Carrera. (Armin P. Adina © Philippine Daily Inquirer)
