A Filipina beauty finished second runner-up in the Miss Petite Global 2023 pageant held at the Geo Resort and Hotel in Malaysia.
Graduate student Maica Cabling Martinez of Nueva Ecija represented the country in the Malaysia-based beauty pageant on May 13, Saturday.
According to the La Reina’s Filipinas Organization, she was also among the Top 3 candidates of the Best in National Costume category, along with Thailand and Malaysia.
Maica also reportedly won the Social Media Award, a subsidiary title.
Maica’s national costume featured her in an elaborate and colorful attire as the “Queen of the Sea and Pearls.”
The blue sea-and-pearl-inspired costume was created by Obra Grandiosa.
The beauty queen said that her attire depicted the “classic and timeless elegance of the string of pearls as the greatest treasure the ocean can give to the world.”
Meanwhile, Maica’s entry for the Social Media Award category featured her in a red stylish swimwear.
For the coronation night, she wore a blue body-hugging gown inspired by the “Blooming Floral Philippines” map collections paintings of artist Sheila Paren.
The gown was adorned with flower appliques made of colored sequins and beads showing the Philippine map.
“I was told to lower down my standards, but I don’t think that would be an option, especially when I’m passionate with what I am doing,” Maica said in a Facebook post.
“One of the MOST BEAUTIFUL, MEANINGFUL [gowns] I ever wore AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PHILIPPINES that made me extra confident, even if they told me otherwise. INTEGRITY ABOVE ALL,” she added.
The Miss Petite Global 2023 is the second edition of the Malaysia-based pageant.
This year, contestants from 12 countries and territories such as Australia, Borneo, India, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, Philippines, Namibia, Singapore, and Cambodia competed.
The pageant aims to celebrate women of all backgrounds and empower them to discover their potential through experiences that build self-confidence and create more opportunities for success.
Contestants must be female, aged 25 to 55, and must stand from 145 to 168 centimeters.
The winner of the pageant’s second edition is Darsha Nair of Malaysia.
