Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 16) — Pageant veteran and newly crowned Miss Universe Philippines Michelle Dee shared what pushed her to continue joining beauty contests despite the pressure such competitions bring.
“I don’t want to live a life of regret. I owe this to my future self, I owe this to my country and ultimately, I knew I had so much more to prove and so much more to give back and that kept me through,” she told CNN Philippines on Tuesday.
Dee bested 37 other candidates on Saturday, succeeding Miss Universe Philippines 2022 Celeste Cortesi.
The two queens were the top two finalists in last year’s edition of the competition, with Dee landing first runner-up with the Miss Universe Philippines Tourism title.
Comparing her experience, Dee said she made sure that all the wrong things that happened in her first attempt in 2022 will not happen in her new journey.
“All my life I’ve been wanting to build a platform to really have a voice and really instill positive change… last year, I won first runner-up and I just felt like I didn’t perform at my maximum so I didn’t want to live a life of regret,\” she shared. \”And then I came back stronger this year.\”
Now representing the country on the international stage, Dee said she will make sure she will be at her best to hopefully bring home the Philippines’ fifth Miss Universe crown.
“I trust the Miss Universe Philippines team wholeheartedly and I know that they’ll give me the tools necessary to represent the country,” said Dee, one of the stars of GMA action series \”Mga Lihim ni Urduja.\”
Asked about the advice her mother, 1979 Miss International Melanie Marquez, has given her, Dee said it is “to shine as my own woman.”
Miss Universe 2023 will be held in El Salvador with Miss Universe R’Bonney Gabriel crowning her successor.
