MANILA, Philippines — Philippines' Leren Mae Bautista has just been crowned 2nd runner-up at the 2019 Miss Globe pageant held in Ulcinj, Montenegro on Tuesday morning.
In its Facebook page, Binibining Pilipinas congratulated Leren.
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"We are so proud of your impressive performance, and the way you embodied the true beauty and elegance of a Binibini. You are truly a Filipina worth emulating," Binibining Pilipinas said.
"Congratulations Queen Leren!! Good start for this year's batch of Binibinis," a fan commented on the pageant organizer's post.
Alejanda Diaz De Leon Soler of Mexico succeeded China's Yu Yizhou as the new Miss Globe. Trinidad and Tobago's Carla Jean Lares was hailed as 1st runner-up.
Shauna Griffiths of Canada is 3rd runner-up while Kristýna Malírová of Czech Republic is 4th runner-up.
The 26-year-old Leren vied to become the Philippines' third Miss Globe titleholder after Maricar Balagtas (2001) and Ann Colis (2015).
Before the pageant, the five-foot-eight model from Laguna made noise for her Maranao princess-inspired national costume designed by Filipino designer Chico Estiva.
At the pageant, Leren went for a white swimsuit at the swimwear competition. For the evening gown portion, she donned a silvery white gown.
At the question and answer portion, Bautista was asked: "If you win this pageant, how will you use your title to benefit others?"
"If I will win Miss Globe 2019, I will use this platform to create an awareness to protect our planet," Leren said.
"We could start within ourselves. We could start with small things by volunteering in our communities, by picking up the trash and throwing it to the right bin and by conserving our water. Because I believe, Mother Theresa once said, 'Not all of us can do great things but all of us can do small things with great love'," she said.
Since she grew up in the verdant town of Los Baños in Laguna, Leren has been an environmentalist. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing Management from Colegio de San Juan de Letran Calamba. She was hailed as Mutya ng Pilipinas Asia Pacific International and Miss Tourism Queen of the Year International in 2015.
Since she was bullied in her younger years for her morena skin and height, Leren has also been a staunch advocate against bullying.
RELATED: WATCH: Teary-eyed Miss Globe Philippines 2019 Leren Bautista recalls being bullying victim
"Don’t stop when you’re tired. Stop when you’re done... Lalaban para sa Pilipinas!" she said in her latest Instagram post before finishing 2nd runner-up in the pageant.