Emma Tiglao gave the Philippines its first back-to-back victory at the Miss Grand International 2025 as she received her crown from Filipina queen, Christine Juliane Opiaza.
Tiglao, a pageant veteran from Pampanga, made history as the first beauty queen to secure a back-to-back win at the Miss Grand International pageant, and also the first for Thailand-based pageant.
With her poise and sunny disposition, Tiglao easily won the hearts of her Thai fans and was an early favorite, eventually winning the ‘Country’s Power of the Year’ award, which was given at the start of the finale show, held at the MGI Hall in Bangkok, Thailand.
She will be the first queen to wear the new ‘Unity Torch’ crown of the Thailand-based global tilt, which positions itself as a beauty contest for entertainment, with the participants allowed to inject antics in their routines.
The 30-year-old TV host confidently bested 76 other candidates, including her Thai room mate, Sarunrat Puagpipat, who settled for first runner-up. This year’s competition attracted its biggest haul of aspirants in its 13-year run.
Tiglao entered the Top 22 by topping the online poll for ‘Country’s Power of the Year’ award, a first for the Philippines in Miss Grand International pageant’s history. For her final look, she donned an embellished gold cut-out tube gown by Rian Fernandez, which accentuated her svelte figure.
She then made a mark when she cited the corruption problem in the Philippines in her spiel for the Top 10 candidates, and then again at Top 5 question-and-answer portion, wherein she said that scammers should be made accountable by putting them behind bars.
‘As someone who reports these kinds of stories, I really want to use the power of balance. [For] us people to be educated and aware, for us to not be scammed, and a help [from] the government to enhance their justice system for the scammers to be behind bars, to be accountable. Because one day, I hope that we will live in a peaceful world where no one should deceive just to survive,’ she said. Capping the list of winners are: Aitana Jimenez of Spain (2nd runner-up), Faith Porter of Ghana (3rd runner-up), and, Nariman Battikha of Guatemala (4th runner-up).
The seasoned pageant queen also attempted to post a back-to-back win for the Philippines in the 2019 Miss Intercontinental pageant. She finished in the Top 20 in that contest.
Opiaza, in turn, received a new diamond-and emerald encrusted crown of her own from Miss Grand International president Nawat Itsaragrisil, after she delivered an emotional farewell speech, surrounded by various images of her during her reign flashed on the LED panels.
As the then first runner-up, Opiaza’s ascent to the Miss Grand throne was no less controversial after the then queen from India, Rachel Gupta resigned, citing the supposed ‘toxic environment’ that she experienced with management.
Itsaragrisil, in an earlier statement before the media, said, ‘if you want to see the entertainment pageant, come to Miss Grand International, really fun. But if you want to see the elegant, the more top-class pageant is Miss Universe.’
Nawat, incidentally, is also currently the Vice President for Asiana of the Miss Universe Organization. He is also on top of organizing the 74th Miss Universe pageant in Thailand next month.