Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 19) — Miss World Philippines 2017 Laura Lehmann may have fallen short of bringing home the Miss World crown, but she was happy to represent the Philippines.
“I felt so proud showing the world that I come from the land known for its people – their laughter, smile, spirit and warmth no matter where in the world they are,” Lehmann wrote in her Instagram post that she said she wrote on her way back to the country.
She also shared that her co-candidates said good things about Filipinos.
“When I first met the girls last month, the first thing almost all of them told me was that they had Filipinos in their neighborhood…and that they were the best and kindest people,” she said.
Lehmann landed a spot in the Top 40 of the competition held at Sanya, China.
READ: PH bet Laura Lehmann ends Miss World 2017 journey early
Crowned as Miss World was 20-year-old Manushi Chhillar from India, succeeding previous titleholder Stephanie del Valle from Puerto Rico.
Despite leaving the competition early, the Philippine bet was among the Top 5 winners of the “Beauty with a Purpose” category.
Lehmann’s charity project is to create the first milk bank for the government-run Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center in Manila.
READ: Laura Lehmann’s ‘Beauty with a Purpose’ program among top 5 in Miss World
“Beauty with a Purpose” is a segment in the pageant that lets contestants raise funds for their chosen benificiary.
In another Instagram post, Lehmann revealed “Beauty with a Purpose” was the reason she joined Miss World.
“My roommate Linh gave electricity to an isolated village while Tya made sure no one in hers would ever go hungry again. Sustainability at its finest,” the 23-year-old television personality wrote.
She also thanked Miss World 2013 winner Megan Young for her support throughout the competition.
“She is so helpful in every way even though she doesn’t have to be,” Lehmann said about the beauty queen, whom she also calls as the “best Miss World ever.”
Lehmann was among the 118 competing candidates in the 2017 pageant.
CNN Philippines’ Digital Producers VJ Bacungan and Ver Marcelo contributed to this report.
