MANILA, Philippines — Among Miss Universe Philippines’ candidates this year, Miss Intercontinental 2015 first runner-up and Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach’s 2015 Binibining Pilipinas batchmate Christi McGarry is among those that pageant fans are watching.
The Filipino-American model was appointed to represent Taguig at this year’s Miss Universe Philippines (MUPH) pageant.
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Following Miss Universe’s scrapping of age limit for participants, the 34-year-old McGarry has been given a chance to show her years of experience as a pageant veteran, in an attempt to secure the Philippines’ fifth Miss Universe crown.
At this year’s MUPH, McGarry carries with her a number of pageant achievements that can serve as her aces in winning the competition come finals night on May 22.
Among these are:
- Miss New Jersey Teen USA 2008 first runner-up
- Mutya ng Pilipinas Asia Pacific 2010
- Top Model of the World 2010 Top 15 semifinalist
- Miss Intercontinental 2010 Top 15 semifinalist and recipient of Miss Intercontinental Continental Queen of Asia and the Pacific award
- Miss Intercontinental 2015 first runner-up and Miss Intercontinental Continental Queen of Asia and Oceania award recipient
McGarry made history as the first Filipina to have represented the Philippines twice in Miss Intercontinental.
At the recent Spring-Summer 2024 collection launch of French fashion label Longchamp in Enderun Events in her hometown Taguig City, Christi served as the disc jockey (DJ).
In an exclusive interview with Philstar.com during the launch, she declined to comment on Miss Universe’s current controversies, such as alleged “fake inclusivity” wherein candidates that are over the past age limit, weight restrictions and others that fall in Miss Universe’s past beauty standards “could join but cannot win,” according to Miss Universe owner Anne Jakrajutatip’s leaked video.
Related: 'Damaging': Pia Wurtzbach reacts to Miss Universe owner’s viral ‘fake inclusivity’ video
Whether it is true or not that she could win MUPH and if ever, Miss Universe, because of her age, McGarry is still determined to fight, sharing with Philstar.com her preparations for the pageant: “Preparations, we have Q&A (question and answer) of course, pasarela training. There’s working with my designers, people in the creative industry that I’m working with to create pasabogs (surprises).”
Exclusively available in Rustan’s Makati, Rustan’s Shangri-La, Rustan’s Cebu, Greenbelt 5, Rustans.com and Trunc.ph, Longchamp’s new collection was presented by Rustan’s and Stores Specialists Inc. to imbibe the energy of the Parisian student atmosphere in an event aptly called “Longchamp University.”
Christi encouraged other women like her to keep on dreaming and chasing their dreams – and don’t let anything, even age, become a hindrance.
“I just want to encourage women to one, always uplift and support one another; to always believe in yourself and never underestimate your capabilities, and know that we are the best in everything that we do and the world would not exist if it weren’t for us, so never forget that!”