FILIPINO CROWNED MISS TOURISM INTERNATIONAL
KUALA LUMPUR: Cyrille Payumo of the Philippines was crowned Miss Tourism International 2019/2020, beating 39 other contestants in the finals here on Friday.
Charming her way into the judges’ hearts, the 22-year-old will realise her dream of pursuing her studies in mass communications, as the pageant crown came with a scholarship for a course of her choice at any LimKokWing University of Creative Technology.
The tertiary study sponsorship for Miss Tourism International 2019/2020 winners and runners-ups was formalised through a memorandum of understanding inked between the university and Miss Tourism International on Nov 1.
An overjoyed Payumo said: “I would love to pursue my higher studies in mass communications and be able to interact and touch people’s hearts by being a tourism advocate not only for my country, but for the world.”
She said she was a language enthusiast, and singled out Malaysia as the best place to learn new languages, such as Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin and Tamil.
This year’s competition — the 22nd edition of the pageant — was themed “Embracing Visit Truly Asia Malaysia 2020” aimed at promoting Visit Malaysia Year 2020.
The pageant was first held in Sarawak in 1994.
Meanwhile, 23-year-old Malaysian contestant, Cheryl Loo Wen Nee, managed to make it into the top 10. She won three out of the 16 subsidiary titles — Miss Gintell Wellness, Miss Glamorous Carlo Rino and Miss Glorious Beautiful.