Miss USA R’Bonney Gabriel and Miss Philippines Celeste Cortisi | Photo by TROI SANTOS
We have always known the Philippines as a cradle of beautiful and talented women, with a bounteous share of Miss Universe, Miss International, and Miss World title winners. This past year, in particular, has been a year of outstanding and world-class Filipina beauty queens!
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Two Filipino-American young women from Dallas and Houston won the Miss Texas title and went on to grace the world stage. Our very own Averie Bishop, the first Asian-American to become Miss Texas, was head and shoulders above the other contestants in professionalism, talents, community service, and grace. She advanced to the Miss America pageant finals and won respectable 2nd Runner-Up honors.
Houston’s R’Bonney Gabriel easily won the Miss Texas USA title with her elegant poise, personality, and natural beauty. She went on to win the highly-coveted Miss USA title and is competing in the Miss Universe contest in New Orleans.
Lastly, the Philippines’ own Miss Philippines Celeste Cortisi, a stunning, standout beauty from Manila, is also competing for the Miss Universe crown in New Orleans this weekend. R’Bonney Gabriel and Celeste Cortisi aspire to follow in the footsteps of former Filipina Miss Universe crown holders Catriona Gray, Pia Wurtzback, Margie Moran, and Gloria Diaz.
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Journalist Joseph Lariosa asks: “Who is the fairest of them all?” From my vantage point as a Fil-Am leader from Texas, with, of course, a tinge of bias combined with immense pride, I declare without fear of contradiction that Filipinas are among the most beautiful women in the world. Our beauty queens are the fairest of them all.
