German-Polish Fil-Am eyes Miss Universe crown
Filipino pageant fans are in jubilation with the coronation of the new queen, who will carry the Philippines on the Miss Universe stage, as heavy favorite Bea Millan-Windorski romped away with the title at the recent national competition.
The 24-year-old international pageant veteran bested 49 other aspirants for the Miss Universe Philippines title at the culmination of the pageant’s finale show staged at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on Saturday evening.
Windorski, who claims German-Polish ancestry through her father, is a staunch environmental activist who once represented the United States at the 2023 Miss Earth pageant, a competition that promotes sustainability and ecological preservation. She won an “elemental” title that year and was proclaimed Miss Earth-Water.
She continued her environmental mission in the Philippines during her reign, eventually settling in her mother’s home province of La Union after relinquishing her national title to her successor in the US.
Windorski was one of the beauty queens and celebrities spotted among the massive crowd that gathered on Edsa for the “Trillion Peso March” in September last year, the public demonstration denouncing corruption in government.
Work continues
The Inquirer asked what she wants to tell the Filipino people after her coronation, and she responded, “I promise to continue the work I’ve done for the past 10 years here in the Philippines with environmental conservation, marching hand-in-hand with the Filipino people, and organizations to create a greener and more equitable future for our people.”
During the final question round of the pageant, Windorski promised to be a public servant if she were given the title. The delegates were asked what makes it worth it to represent the Philippines on the global stage despite the frustration among Filipinos.
“The Philippines is something and a place that I’ve been in love with my whole life. Growing up in a predominantly non-diverse part of the United States, I was identified as Filipina, first and foremost,” she said.
“I chose to pack my life into balikbayan boxes and suitcases because I believe in the limitless potential of the Filipino people. And the fact that we need to create local opportunities here, so that people don’t have to go abroad and be separated from their families in order to survive and thrive,” Windorski continued.
She is set to compete at the 75th Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico in November, with the hopes of becoming the fifth Filipino woman to bring home the crown.
