MISS PLANET INTERNATIONAL WINNER – A new Miss Planet International was crowned in Cambodia from the 13 beauty queens that entered the pageant.

On January 29, Filipino entrepreneur Maria Luisa Varela won the 2023 Miss Planet International pageant in Cambodia, earning the crown in the competition that the 2022 Binibining Pilipinas’ first runner-up Herlene Nicole Budol was slated to compete in.

Maria Luisa bested 13 other international competitors to succeed South African Monique Best in ceremonies held at the Koh Pich Theater in the kingdom’s capital of Phnom Penh.

The Miss Planet International made quite a fuss when some delegates, including Herlene Budol, withdrew from the international pageant late last year. They had already arrived in Kampala, the African nation’s capital, and had participated in a few preliminary events when the contest was placed on hold due to a looming cancellation.

The pageant had been slated for a coronation night on November 19, but tensions in Uganda sparked by an Ebola outbreak forced local organizers to postpone the competition, which Herlene was not even supposed to compete in the first place.

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The organization did not assign her to international competition after she finished first runner-up in the Binibining Pilipinas pageant. However, her manager, Wilbert Tolentino, stated that he requested permission from the Bb. Pilipinas Charities Inc. (BPCI) to send his talent to global competition. He stated that the organization granted his request.

Tolentino, on the other hand, is enraged and has threatened the Miss Planet International organization with legal action. The organizers stated on Facebook on December 20 that the competition will resume in January in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Tolentino stated that he would no longer send Herlene.

On January 20, the Miss Planet International organization announced on Facebook that Maria Luisa Varela will be the Philippines’ official representative in this year’s competition. It also announced the selection of Michael “Miki” Antonio as the Philippines’ national director for the 2023 contest.

Jemima Mandemwa of Zimbabwe finished second to Maria Luisa Varela on Sunday night’s pageant, with Ono Aya of Japan rounding out the circle of winners in third place.

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