MANILA, Philippines — Miss Universe host Steve Harvey was right all along: Miss Universe Philippines 2019 and Miss Universe 2019 top 20 finalist Gazini Ganados has indeed won the Best in National Costume special award, not Miss Malaysia Shweta Sekhon.
In a Twitter post after the pageant on Monday, Miss Universe declared: ".@IAmSteveHarvey had it right: Miss Universe Philippines Gazini Ganados is the winner of the #MissUniverse2019 National Costume competition! Congratulations, Gazini."
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.@IAmSteveHarvey had it right: Miss Universe Philippines Gazini Ganados is the winner of the #MissUniverse2019 National Costume competition! Congratulations, Gazini. ???? pic.twitter.com/L8DpAyNL9I
— Miss Universe (@MissUniverse) December 9, 2019
It can be recalled that during the pageant earlier today, Harvey announced Gazini as the winner of the special award, with the beauty queen's photo flashing on the screen. But it was Miss Malaysia Shweta Sekhon who was onstage to receive the award with her Peranakan cuisine-inspired national costume.
"There is an eagle within me that wants to soar. It is with deep honor to showcase our national pride during the Miss Universe National costume show, the Philippine Eagle whose strength, power, and love for freedom exemplifies the Filipino people," Gazini said of her Philippine-eagle-inspired national costume by fellow Cebuano designer Cary Santiago.