No natural calamity has interrupted the ceremonies of the 2025 Miss Asia Pacific International pageant this time around, and the crown found its rightful owner in Isabela Fernandes of Brazil.
More than a week after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake halted the pageant’s Benefit Gala Night, the final competition show went smoothly at the Cebu Coliseum on Wednesday evening, Oct. 8.
The new queen bested 42 other aspirants to succeed 2024 winner Janelis Leyba, who unfortunately was not on hand to crown her. The Dominican-American queen had flown back to her home in the United States a day after the earthquake because of trauma.
But 2018 winner Sharifa Akeel-Mangudadatu gladly accepted the duty of crowning the new winner. She was also a member of the board of judges.
Four ladies joined the new queen in the final round, and made up her court first runner-up Anita Rose Gomez of the Philippines, second runner-up Bowonrat Maneerat of Thailand, third runner-up Jana Janssens of Belgium, and fourth runner-up Delilah Elmira Wildeboer of Netherlands.
Gomez, a lass from Zambales, came short of her bid to claim the country’s sixth Miss Asia Pacific International crown, although she was an early favorite after winning the Best in Swimsuit and first runner-up in the evening gown competitions. Her response to the question-and-answer portion made a reference to the recent calamity that was also witnessed by other delegates.
The ladies who advanced to semifinals competed in the swimsuit and evening gown segments. Then, the Top 10 underwent the grueling question-and-answer round to fight for slots in the Final Five.
The five ladies who made it to the final round then took turns in answering the final question to stake their claim to the crown: ‘When the fires of transformation dies down, and only the embers remain, what will continue to make your story burning bright?’
Fernandes’s winning answer, as translated: ‘Surely, I am here tonight for a purpose. The fire of transformation starts when we know who we are and where we want to arrive. I have a thing to say to you all: the journey of transformation never ends and we live in transformation every day.’
This year’s edition of the Miss Asia Pacific International pageant realigned the delegates’ activities after the earthquake, in solidarity with those severely affected by the tremor.
The ladies took part in relief operations, joining in the packing of goods, and personally distributing aid to those affected by the earthquake in the towns of Daanbantyan, Medellin, and San Remigio in northern Cebu.
A moment of silence during the coronation program was dedicated for the victims of the earthquake, and in solidarity with those heavily impacted by the tremor.
The members of the pageant’s board or directors and executive committee also handed tokens of appreciation to the delegates, glass lanterns with fairy lights inside, to symbolize their love, resilience, and rebirth.