Miss Universe Philippines Michelle Dee received a warm welcome from pageant fans when she arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Saturday night, Nov. 26, following a successful stint at the 72nd Miss Universe Competition in El Salvador recently.

"Oh my gosh! Hindi ninyo alam kung gaano kasarap sa pakiramdam ang nakauwi na ako. Maraming salamat sa pagpunta ninyo rito. Nakakataba ng puso. Alam n'yo naman na ginawa ko po talaga ang lahat ng makakaya ko para ipaglaban lang tayo," said Michelle, during a media conference at the airport Saturday night.

She added: "Sayang! Alam ko alam n'yo yung sayang! Pero lahat ng nangyayari may dahilan. Pinakita talaga natin kung gaano kalakas ang bayanihan spirit ng Pilipinas. Hiling ko lang, alam ko alam niyo yung introduction ko na Pilipinas! So Michelle Marquez Dee!" To which the crowd answered: "Pilipinas!"

Michelle said her goal was to make the Filipinos proud when she represented the country in Miss Universe.

After the pageant, she teased fans about a television project. The beauty queen said she will be joining a TV show soon with a special role.

At the airport, Michelle was welcomed by her mom, former Miss International Melanie Marquez, and Miss Universe Philippines national director Shamcey Supsup-Lee.

Hundreds of pageant fans holding small Philippine flags, posters, pictures, and streamers also cheered for the Filipino beauty queen.

In El Salvador, Michelle won four special awards: Best in National Costume, Voice for Change competition, Spirit of Carnival (presented by pageant sponsor Carnival Cruise), and the Miss Universe app fan vote.

Michelle ended her Miss Universe journey in the top 10.

During the semifinal round, there was a mix-up in the art card for the top 5 of the Miss Universe Competition that caused an uproar among pageant fans in the Philippines.

Miss Universe El Salvador has apologized for the mistake after it featured the photo of Michelle, which should not be the case.

"Our mistake! In the rush to get our posts up during Saturday's live broadcast, we accidentally mixed up the names of two finalists. This was a simple error of moving too fast - we heard the same results live at the same time that you all did, no special access over here! We're sorry to both finalists," pageant organizers wrote on Facebook on Nov. 23.

After realizing the mistake on the art card, the correct version was shared by the organizers. This time, the photo of Michelle was replaced with the picture of Miss Universe Thailand Antonia Porsild, who finished second over-all in the competition.

Reacting to the mistake, Michelle said: "There should be no room for error, but the reality is we live in an imperfect world.

"My request is not just to be respectful to the delegates but to the supporters who are so passionate about this platform.

"But again, everything happens for a reason, and it's just a matter of seeing it as a lesson or a blessing. So always act with love, kindness, and respect," she added.