Comebacks, crossovers: Aces & Queens to announce 2022 trainees

MANILA, Philippines — After the Miss Universe Philippines (MUPH) organization informed all and sundry of its screening for the 2022 season to commence in February, Gerry Diaz of the Aces & Queens camp, in a social media post, wrote, "Class of 2022 received almost 300 applications. Invited 40 for the first virtual screening and another 40 for the second virtual screening."

This was followed by a cryptic message that read, "A & Q 2022 - winnable, fresh faces. Promising provincials. Returnees. Comebacks. Big crossover."

And in a subsequent post last January 14, Diaz wrote, "To the ladies who attended the A & Q Class of 2022 screening, results will be emailed directly tonight or tomorrow morning, at the least."

Over the weekend, Aces & Queens teased the fans with a B&W collage of hidden faces of its selected 2022 trainees. Netizens were quick to guess who those faces were. And their guesses included:

• Miss World-Philippines 2019 Michelle Dee
• returning MUPH entrant Jasmine Umali
• new aspirant Chantal Schmidt
• Bb. Pilipinas Supranational 2016 Joanna Eden
• former Bb. Pilipinas aspirant Maria Gigante of Cebu Province
• returning MUPH entrant Joanna Rabe
• MUPH 2020 1st runner-up Ysabella Ysmael
• returning MUPH entrant Maria Isabela Galeria, and
• Miss Universe UAE 2021 candidate Frankie Russell

Of the 12 Philippine beauty queens who represented the country in our historic semifinal streak, a majority came from Aces & Queens; with a few from Kagandahang Flores, and one very strong, independent representative.

RELATED: Kelsey Merritt, Ahtisa Manalo in fans' wish list for Miss Universe Philippines 2022 screening