With all the speculations surrounding who the next representative of Philippines will be at Miss Grand International 2020 in March this year, the international organization has finally put it to rest as Samantha Bernardo has been appointed Miss Grand Philippines 2020.
Miss Grand International organization took to their official social media to announce her representation at the 2020 edition. There were speculations going on because Binibining Pilipinas 2020 is all set to be held on 17th April 2021 which holds the right to crown the representative of Philippines at Miss Grand International. However, the 2020 edition of Miss Grand International is scheduled to take place in March 2021.
Samantha Bernardo is an empowered woman from the Philippines’ Last Frontier, Palawan. She stands 174 cm tall. Samantha has finished a degree in Hospitality Management as she happily serves, interacts and listens to different stories from across the globe.
As pointed out by MGI, Samantha was a competitive rhythmic gymnast for 9 years and represented her province in National Competitions. The organization introduced her as it wrote, “Aside from sports, she is a cultural performer and a former President of Sining Palawan Dance Troupe that showcases Philippine tradition through folk dances. She has also worked as a professional model and an entrepreneur who owns and runs her clothing company. Her heart to serve fuels her competitive spirit and determination to excel in her field.”
Samantha is a volunteer and spokesperson of Philippine Movement Against Malaria, a movement that aims for a malaria-free Philippines by 2030. However, Samantha understands that this period in our history, in this time of a pandemic, the war has already shifted from armed conflict to a war against hunger and for better healthcare.
As countries face economic recession and citizens lose jobs, resulting in disagreement and inequality, the pandemic also evidences the collapse of healthcare systems around the world, taking the lives of many, especially the poor and the underprivileged.
Samantha will lend her voice to amplify these social issues as it is very timely and significant to bring this war on hunger and health. Samantha already proved her worth in the pageantry as she competed in Binibining Pilipinas 2019 where she was adjudged the first runner-up at the end of the event finale. She was a crowd’s favourite ever since the beginning of the competition.
Before Samantha was confirmed by the international organization, Bb. Pilipinas Grand International 2019 Aya Abesamis was supposed to carry the Philippine colors in Thailand next month but due to age restrictions, she could not. Nonetheless, Samantha will be one of the strongest contenders at the 2020 edition of Miss Grand International.