Is that… Miss Nicaragua?
A video of actress Maris Racal in her ABS-CBN Ball 2023 gown went viral during the coronation of Miss Universe 2023 in El Salvador.
An account on the X (formerly Twitter) platform shared the clip and jokingly congratulated the actress.
“Congratulations to our new Miss Universe, MARIS RACAL,” user @AltStarMagic quipped with emojis of a crying face and clapping hands.
“‘DI MO KAMI MALOLOKO, MARIS RACAL, IKAW SI NICARAGUA,” another account joked, juxtaposing pictures of the actress with that of Nicaraguan bet Sheynnis Palacios, who won the Miss Universe 2023 crown.
For the coronation, Sheynnis wore a crystal-embellished gown complemented with a silky blue cape.
Reports said the shades were inspired by the Nicaraguan flag which has blue and white stripes with its National Coat of Arms at the center.
This is the first time the Central American country has won the crown in the most prestigious beauty pageant.
Sheynnis has been trending since the preliminaries with her performances in the swimsuit and evening gown rounds.
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The Philippines was represented by Michelle Dee in the pageant, where she finished in the Top 10.
She also bagged the gold award for the “Voice for Change” competition and was recognized with the Spirit of Carnival award by longtime Miss Universe sponsor Carnival Cruises.
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Meanwhile, during the ABS-CBN Ball 2023, Maris wore a body-hugging gold sequined gown with giant blue sleeves and a matching overskirt.
Her gown was designed by Paris-educated couturier Marc Rancy.
Some Filipinos previously joked that Maris resembled Columbia Pictures’ famous “Torch Lady” for her style.
ALSO READ: ‘Kaya pala pamilyar’: Maris Racal’s ABS-CBN Ball look and Columbia Pictures’ Torch Lady