Nikki de Moura

 Miss Grand Philippines leaves for MGI finals in Vietnam

By Earl D.C. Bracamonte

The ALV Pageant Circle recently held a send-off party at the Savoy Hotel Manila for Miss Grand Philippines 2023 Nikki de Moura of Cagayan de Oro, before her departure to Hanoi for the MGI 2023  coronation night. The 19-year-old Filipino-Brazilian beauty may, finally, win for us the elusive golden crown.

Last year's representative, Roberta Angela Tamondong was elevated to a 5th runner-up position from her Top 20 placement. The closest that a Filipina got to the crown were in the years 2016 and 2020, when Nicole Cordoves and Samantha Bernardo both won as 1st runners-up - Cordoves to Ariska Putri Pertiwi of Indonesia, and Bernardo to Abena Appiah of the United States.

In recent years, pageant aficionados have observed that one of the ways to win a spot in the semifinals is through the pre-arrival dinner poll, where the highest votes from five countries will join a special dinner with MGI president Nawat Itsaragrisil, vice-president Teresa Chaivisut, and reigning queen Isabella Mennin.

Fans and supporters  can vote in either of the organization's social media pages. With the MGI Facebook page, only votes from followers of the page will be counted. 1 Like = 3 points while 1 share = 5 points.

On the other hand, supporters may also vote on MGI's Instagram page where 1 Like is equal to 10 votes. Pollsters can vote from now until October 4, 2023, 5pm (Hanoi Time). By then, the pre-pageant events and activities have already began.

The 11th Miss Grand International finals will unfold on Oct. 25, in Hanoi, Vietnam. Reigning titleholder Isabella Mennin of Brazil will crown her successor at the culmination of the pageant rites. Stay tuned!