Filipinos love beauty pageants, and we can be relied on to rally behind anyone who represents our country with pride and joy. Not only do we love our beauty queens, but we even throw our support behind those who are not Filipinos but have endeared themselves to our country.
To celebrate Catriona Gray's fresh victory to become Miss Universe 2018, here's a list of some of the most beloved and most memorable beauty queens-turned-moms.
Gloria Diaz (1969)
The first ever Filipina to win the Miss Universe crown has a son, Rafa, and two daughters, Ava and Isabelle. Isabelle is now a mom to son Baltie. The grandma and new momma may not have the same parenting styles, but we love that they respect each other's choices.
Margie Moran (1973)
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWThe Philippines' second Miss Universe has chosen to live a quiet life with her family. However, she is often present in many high society gatherings and other pageant-related events. She has two daughters,
Monica and Gabby, and two grandchildren courtesy of Monica.Melanie Marquez (1979)
The former actress and model brought home the Miss International crown in 1979 at a young age of 15. She was the third Filipina to win. Melanie also helped train fellow beauty queens Ruffa, Charlene, and Miriam. She is also a mom to six kids.
Ruffa Gutierrez (1993)
CONTINUE READING BELOWwatch nowShe was already a famous actress when Ruffa decided to join the Miss World in 1993 and was hailed as the pageant's Second Princess. She now has two teen daughters, Lorin and Venice, with Turkish ex-husband Yilmaz Bektas. Ruffa and her family star in their own reality TV show It Take Gutz to Be a Gutierrez.
Charlene Gonzales (1994)
Our Miss Universe 1994 bet when the Philippines hosted the pageant in 1994 is a mom to twins Atasha and Andres, both 17. Though she didn't take home the crown, Charlene landed in the Top 6. While Charlene and her husband, actor Aga Muhlach, chose to raise their kids away from the spotlight, the twins have recently been more visible to the press and media.
Dayanara Torres (1993)
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWThe Puerto Rican beauty queen passed on the Miss Universe crown to Sushmita Sen in 1994, when the Philippines hosted the pageant. Dayanara then had a successful showbiz career in the Philippines. She even learned Filipino during her stay here. Dayanara recently got engaged to Marvel film producer Louis D’Esposito. She has two sons with her ex-husband, American singer Marc Anthony.
Sushmita Sen (1994)
She not only won Miss Universe in 1994, but she also won our hearts despite defeating our own Charlene Gonzales. When Sushmita came back in 2017 to judge the pageant, which was held again in the Philippines, she was surprised to discover that many Filipino babies born the year she won were named after her. Sushmita fought Indian laws to be able to adopt her two daughters despite not being single.
Michelle Van Eimeren (1994)
Miss Australia Michelle van Eimeren has perhaps reasons to love the Philippines than other candidates: the 22-year-old beauty was smitten by singer-songwriter Ogie Alcasid. They got married, lived here, and had two beautiful daughters, Leila and Sarah. Though the two separated, Michelle remains to be well-loved by this country. She and Ogie's wife Regine Velasquez keep a mutually loving and respectful relationship as co-parents. As her daughter Leila is now based here and trying her luck in showbiz, Michelle, now a florist, still occasionally visits the Philippines, sometimes with her Australian husband Mark Murrow.
Miriam Quiambao (1999)
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWShe's 43 and pregnant now for the first time! Miriam is thankful she was conceived naturally given her age. She recently disclosed that she has Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome (APAS), an autoimmune condition. Miriam, perhaps famous for her graceful recovery after she tripped during the pageant, is now a host and inspirational speaker. She's also a stepmom to husband Ardy Roberto's 11-year-old son, Joshua.
Shamcey Supsup (2011)
The 2011 Miss Universe third-runner Up is now a mom to 3-year-old daughter Nyke and 3-month-old son Nathan. Shamcey graduated magna cum laude in college and currently owns and manages a chain of restaurants with businessman husband Lloyd Lee. She actually flew to Bangkok, Thailand to lend her support to Catriona.
Lara Quigaman (2005)
Lara won the Miss International crown in 2005. She's now a mom to two boys, 6-year-old Noah, and 3-month-old Tobias with husband Marco Alcaraz. Apart from acting on TV teleseryes, Lara has been blogging about her adventures as a mom, writing about body shaming and the struggles of breastfeeding.
BONUS! Remember when Scarlet Snow Belo wore a mini-terno and Miss Philippines sash in 2017! So cute!
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