Queen Universe winner eyes Miss Int’l Queen crown
As sole candidate, Carla Marie Madrigal bears the responsibility of representing the Philippines in this year’s Miss International Queen competition. Unlike past editions where there were usually more than one delegate from the Philippines, Carla marches alone in the world’s largest and most prestigious beauty pageant for transgender women.
The first Queen Philippines Universe (2015) titleholder (Queen Philippines is a Cebu-based pageant originally known as Queen of Cebu founded by renowned Cebuano designer Cary Santiago) from Lanao, Alubijid town in Misamis Oriental will be competing among 27 other transgender candidates in Pattaya, Thailand in the hopes of following the magnificent strides of fellow Filipinas Kevin Balot and Trixie Martisela who were hailed Miss International Queen in 2012 and 2015, respectively.
Departing yesterday for the Land of Smiles, Carla, born Ben Carl Embradura Galarrita, promises to bring her best foot forward and represent not only her home of Misamis Oriental, but the Pearl of the Orient as a whole.
The candidates will be judged according to different factors, including their performances in the talent, evening gown and national costume competitions.
Presented by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the finals of Miss International Queen 2018 will be held on March 9 at Tiffany’s Show Pattaya, the first authentic transvestite cabaret show in Southeast Asia. The talent quest and national costume presentation will be held on March 2 at the Aksra Theater in Bangkok.
Jiratchaya Sirimongkolnawin of Thailand reigns as the current Miss International Queen.
With the theme “Find your True Identity at Miss International Queen 2018: World Equality,” the pageant has continuously advocated for LGBTQ+ and Transgender awareness and equality in both society and the work force for 14 years now since its first staging in 2004. All monetary profits from the televised show goes to the Royal Charity
AIDS Foundation of Thailand.
In her introductory video, Carla, a BS Tourism undergraduate of Liceo de Cagayan University, showed off scenic locations of the country: from lush greens to mysterious falls and an inviting seashore, all while decked in stunning gowns. She stressed how the Philippines is home to all sorts of flora and fauna, its natural resources a vital factor in the booming tourism industry. The beauty queen added that the warm and welcoming people of the Philippines is one of the country’s best qualities.
Carla shared how fascinated she has been with the concept of royalty from a young age, and thought that she would like to become a queen herself one day with pageantry paving the way for her to achieving the dream. The businesswoman (she owns a salon, co-owns a ticketing agency, and will soon venture into food business) adds that her family is her greatest inspiration and that she’s been very fortunate to have supportive kin.
She describes herself as passionate, hardworking, and dedicated –characteristics she believes gave her the opportunity to become responsible and independent. She also says that winning Queen Philippines Universe 2015 strengthened her and boosted her confidence to pursue advocacies as she supports anti-discrimination campaigns and legal rights that protect the LGBTQ community, and even HIV-AIDS awareness by giving seminars, orientations and symposiums in events throughout the Philippines and in Asia.
“The purpose of a crown on your head sits there not as a symbol of royalty that might denote one who is to be served but it sits there as a symbol of one who gives herself voluntarily for the benefit of those who need her,” Carla quips in her introductory video.
The Miss International Queen stage will be a platform for Carla to become more socially visible in her advocacies and her chance at fulfilling her dream of saying the name “Philippines!” as she represents the country in the international stage.