“I never doubted you.”
This was the heartfelt message from Miss Grand International 2020 first runner-up Sam Bernardo to Christine Juliane “CJ” Opiaza, the first Filipina named Miss Grand International since its inception.
On Wednesday, May 28, Sam dedicated a lengthy post to CJ, who assumed the title after Rachel Gupta, the Miss Grand International 2024 winner, resigned and was dethroned by the organization for failing to fulfill her duties.
CJ was previously the first runner-up of the Thai-based beauty pageant.
“God’s plan is always better than ours. His timing is divine —always aligned, always filled with purpose. Lately, I’ve been reflecting on how everything unfolds exactly when and how it should — not always as we expect, but always as we need,” Sam said on the X (formerly Twitter) platform.
“A crown I wore with pride — not just on my head, but in my heart, my values, and my voice. And now, to witness the very first Filipina officially crowned with the MGI title — it feels like a full-circle moment. A quiet affirmation from heaven that it was all part of something bigger,” she added.
“Because life isn’t always about winning. Sometimes, the true win is choosing the path that aligns with your soul. The quiet ‘yes’ to your calling. The voyage — as Bethel Music sings — that becomes the map of your legacy,” the beauty queen said.
She accompanied her post with a video edit made by a fan, which showed lyrics from Amanda Cook’s “The Voyage.”
✨ THE GOLDEN CROWN 👑
God’s plan is always better than ours. His timing is divine—always aligned, always filled with purpose.
Lately, I’ve been reflecting on how everything unfolds exactly when and how it should—not always as we expect, but always as we need. 💫 pic.twitter.com/p6Opymmtip
— Samantha Bernardo (@SamBer_Official) May 28, 2025
“This video edit from a fan reminded me of that: of standing in grace, in peace, in purpose. Of what it truly means to be a queen,” Sam said.
“Congratulations to our first ever MGI from the Philippines, CJ OPIAZA! I never doubted you. I always believed. And I’m beyond proud that it’s you,” she added.
CJ’s crowning moment, which the MGI has called “historical,” will be held on June 3 at the MGI Hall in Bangkok, Thailand.
“Time tells all. The CROWN has found its QUEEN,” the MGI said in its announcement.
The MGI is a Thai-based pageant that crowns candidates who can be icons to the rest of the women worldwide with the four Bs —body, beauty, brain and business.
