Manila LGU presents official candidates of Miss Manila 2023
Diann Calucin/MANILA BULLETIN
The local government of the City of Manila presented the 22 official candidates for Miss Manila 2023 during the sashing ceremony at Bulwagang Rodriguez, City Hall of Manila on Monday, May 15. Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna- Pangan, in her address, thanked the organizers and candidates who supported the return of the city's beauty pageant after a five-year hiatus. “Sana i-enjoy niyo lang ang inyong journey sa pageant na ito. This is your opportunity to hone and sharpen your inner and outer character as a woman of the future (I hope you enjoy your journey in this pageant. This is your opportunity to hone and sharpen your inner and outer character as a woman of the future),” she expressed. In partnership with the Department of Tourism, Culture and the Arts of Manila (DTCAM), the city government announced the Miss Manila relaunch last March 1. According to Sampaloc candidate Hanna Cruz, she has long been preparing for the pageant and was planning to join last 2019, but it was not staged due to the directives of former Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno. Lacuna sashed the qualified candidates from different city barangays who shared their advocacies and some interesting facts about them. The mayor added that there were over 50 candidates who signed up for the pageant but only 22 candidates passed the final pre-qualification and selection processes last May 7. The processes included a face-to-face interview, video screening, and credentials evaluation that started last April. In conjunction with the 452nd Manila Day on June 24, the winners of the 20th Miss Manila will be crowned on June 23 at the Manila Metropolitan Theater, which will be hosted by 2018 Miss Universe Catriona Gray.