GALLERY: Meet the 40 candidates of Miss Universe Philippines 2023
The official candidates of the Miss Universe Philippines 2023 have been unveiled.
The MUPh organization announced its “Top 40 phenomenal, transformational Filipinas” via Facebook on Saturday, Feb. 18.
Among the familiar faces on the list are current titleholders Michelle Dee (Miss Universe Philippines Tourism) and Pauline Amelinckx (Miss Universe Philippines Charity).
Beauty queens like Klyza Castro (Mutya ng Pilipinas 2019), Samantha Panlilio (Miss Grand Philippines 2021), and Emmanuelle Vera (Reinahispanoamericana Filipinas 2021) as well as former UAAP courtside reporter Angelique Manto also made it to the Top 40.
The Miss Universe Philippines applications opened on Nov. 7 and ended on Feb. 17 with a change in the screening process. Unlike in the past when interested candidates had to be females who have never been married or pregnant, the organization started accepting women regardless of their civil status. There was also no height requirement included in the application process.
The Miss Universe Philippines 2023 titleholder will be the successor of Celeste Cortesi, who represented the Philippines at the Miss Universe 2022 tilt in January. The winner of the upcoming pageant will compete at the 72nd Miss Universe, which will take place in El Salvador in late 2023.