Filipino-Australian Catriona Gray is crowned the country’s fourth Miss Universe

“Welcome to the sisterhood, Catriona Gray!” (Photo: @missuniverse/Instagram)

Twenty-four-year-old Catriona Gray is officially the fourth Filipina to bring the Miss Universe crown back to the Philippines as she reigns victorious at the 67th Miss Universe coronation night that happened Monday morning, December 17 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Many Filipino pageant fans gathered at the Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani to watch Catriona be crowned by predecessor Miss Universe 2017 Demi Leigh Nel Peters of South Africa. The final portion of the competition was during the Top 3, where the girls were questioned, “What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your life and how would you apply it to your time as Miss Universe?” Catriona referred to her work with Philippine organization Young Focus located in Tondo, where “life there is poor and very sad,” answering, “I’ve always taught myself to look for the beauty of it, to look for beauty in the faces of the children and to be grateful. And I would bring this aspect as a Miss Universe, to see situations with a silver lining, and to assess where I could give something, where I could provide something as a spokesperson.” She concluded, “If I could teach also people to be grateful, we could have an amazing world where negativity could not grow and foster, and children would have a smile on their faces.” 

Catriona, who won the Binibining Pilipinas Universe crown earlier in the year, already had competed in international pageant Miss World in 2016 where she landed in the Top 5, but was overall defeated by Puerto Rico’s Stephanie Del Valle. She wanted to redeem herself in the Miss Universe stage, attempting to insert Filipino culture in all aspects of the competition, including her national costume, evening gowns, and event attire — her final gown she wore when crowned representing a symbol from her hometown of Albay, the Mayon Volcano. Catriona landed in the Top 2 with South African representative Tamaryn Green.

The model/singer joins 1969’s Gloria Diaz, 1973’s Margie Moran, and 2015’s Pia Wurtzbach in the list of Filipina Miss Universe winners.