Gwendolyne Fourniol has been named Miss World Philippines 2022, beating 35 other contestants to take home the much-coveted crown.
The pageant began on Sunday evening, running up until the early hours of Monday, taking place at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila.
The Filipina-French beauty queen, who was representing the Negros Occidental province, inherited the crown from former Miss World Philippines Tracy Maureen Perez.
She was also judged best in the Evening Gown, Miss Silka and Miss Love Your Skin categories, as well as winning the Beach Beauty fast-track challenge.
Fourniol will be the country's representative at the 71st Miss World pageant, for which the date and location are yet to be announced.
This is not the first time Fourniol has competed in the pageant, as she also took part last year, making it to the Top 15 but failing to progress.
Who is Gwendolyne Fourniol?
Fourniol was born and raised in France to a Filipina mother and French father. She got a degree in economics at Oxford Brooks University in England and tutors Filipinos in French.
Competing in beauty pageants wasn't even on her radar, until her mother encouraged her to move to the Philippines to compete. She was 18 when she moved to the motherland.
She made her pageant debut on stage during Miss World Philippines 2021.
“Growing up surrounded by French and Filipino culture, as well as being trilingual, has strengthened my desire for adventure and independence,” she said in her introduction video.
“I moved alone to the Philippines but I wasn’t scared. I knew I was surrounded with kindness by the Filipino people."
Miss World Philippines 2022
Fourniol, as part of her advocacy work on behalf of Miss World's Beauty with a Purpose programme, aims to fight for better access to education for all. She works with the Educational Research and Development Assistance Foundation, a non-profit that sends underprivileged children to school.
Her mother, who grew up in poverty, was one of the organisation's beneficiaries, Fourniol has said, and through the programme earned a degree in psychology and employment as a domestic worker in France.
During the question and answer section of the competition, Fourniol was asked how an education deficit accumulated amid the pandemic can be resolved.
She said: “As an advocate of education, I do agree that during the pandemic we have suffered the most, but the children who have a lack of access to education have suffered the greatest.
"And working hand in hand with ERDA Foundation who empowered the marginalised Filipino, I believe by uniting benefactors and encouraging children and allowing them to go back to school especially during this pandemic will make this world a better place because education is the greatest weapon against poverty.”
Miss Universe Philippines 2022 — in pictures
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Celeste Cortesi has been named Miss Universe Philippines 2022. All photos: Miss Universe Philippines 2022 -
Other contestants in the top five were, from left: Annabelle McDonnell from Misamis Oriental; Michelle Dee from Makati and Katrina Llegado from Taguig, as well as Pauline Amelinckx from Bohol, second from right. -
The contestants in this year's pageant. -
Pauline Amelinckx from Bohol. -
Annabelle McDonnell from Misamis Oriental. -
Vanessa Ann Ka'ihilani Caro, Miss Iloilo Province. -
Genesis Latugat, Miss Baguio City. -
Katrina Llegado, Miss Taguig City.
