'Pilipinas' intro? Michelle Dee wraps up preliminary rehearsals
MANILA, Philippines — Miss Universe Philippines 2023 Michelle Dee is gearing up for the preliminary stages of this year's Miss Universe pageant to be held in El Salvador.
Several videos and photos of Michelle and her fellow candidates rehearsing for the preliminary rounds have been spreading online, some of which Michelle has been reposting on her personal social media accounts.
One particular observation was during the practice of delegate introductions, Michelle exclaimed "Pilipinas" rather than "Philippines," which made many Filipinos excited for the pageant proper when the beauty queen finally takes on the Miss Universe stage.
Sneak peek of Michelle Dee's walk from yesterday's rehearsals.
— Yashael ?????????? (@Dainsleif_10) November 13, 2023
????Spoiler warning????#MichelleDee #mmdverse #MMD #MissUniversePhilippines2023 #MissUniverse2023 #72ndMissUniverse #ForDEEUniverse #MissUniverse pic.twitter.com/oVnZ9Fbysj
Other rehearsal and behind-the-scenes footage of Michelle in El Salvador show the beauty queen interacting with fellow contestants like Latvia's Kate Alexeeva, Nicaragua's Sheynnis Palacios and Puerto Rico's Karla Guilfú.
The Philippine bet was also spotted being close with fellow Southeast Asian contestants Sotima John from Cambodia, Bùi Quynh Hoa from Vietnam and Anntonia Porsild from Thailand, the latter one of this year's frontrunners for the crown.
At a welcoming dinner for this year's batch of contestants, Michelle impressed the El Salvador crowd by introducing herself in Spanish.
Members of the Autism Society Philippines recently threw their support for the beauty queen. Michelle's advocacy centers on empowering individuals on the autism spectrum like two of her brothers.
Michelle is currently leading the fan-voted poll, which would a guarantee a spot in the semifinal round. Supporters, however, are encouraging Filipino pageant aficionados to continue casting votes and not be complacent.
The 72nd Miss Universe will begin with the preliminary competition on November 15 (November 16, 8 a.m. in the Philippines) and the national costume competition on November 16 (November 17, 9 a.m. in the Philippines), before the main coronation event on November 18 (November 19, 9 a.m. in the Philippines). — with reports from Jan Milo Severo and Earl D.C. Bracamonte
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