Filipina beauty queen Gazini Ganados delivered a standout performance at the inaugural Miss Grand International (MGI) All Stars competition, finishing in the Top 5 during the glitzy coronation night held in Thailand on Saturday, May 30.
While Colombia’s Vanessa Pulgarin ultimately captured the first-ever MGI All Stars crown, Ganados emerged as one of the strongest contenders of the night after impressing judges and pageant fans with her commanding stage presence, emotional advocacy, and powerful evening gown performance.
Pulgarin triumphed over 55 international candidates in the all-star edition of the pageant, which featured former global beauty queens, including women and trans women contestants. Ghana’s Faith Maria Porter and Vietnam’s Huong Giang Nguyen completed the Top 3 finalists.
Representing the Philippines, Ganados excelled in the swimsuit, evening gown, and question-and-answer rounds. During the evening gown competition, she stunned in a gold couture masterpiece by renowned Filipino designer Rian Fernandez, which paid tribute to her Filipino and Palestinian heritage.
Fernandez described the creation in a social media post, saying, "GAZINI. Proudly honoring her Filipino and Palestinian roots, this Rian Fernandez Couture creation blends the timeless patterns of the Palestinian keffiyeh with the Filipino pinukpok metalcraft.”
Ganados’ performance during the evening gown segment earned massive praise after six judges awarded her perfect 10 scores, while the remaining two judges gave her scores of 8. The judges announced their scores live onstage one by one through the microphone, drawing loud reactions from the audience.
The Filipina-Palestinian beauty queen also drew attention during the final question-and-answer portion after candidly speaking about cyberbullying and the ongoing struggles faced by her family in Gaza.
Asked by MGI 2020 Abena Appiah Akuaba about practical ways society can reduce cyberbullying, Ganados responded: “I was once a victim of cyberbullying. It was not easy to go through something that you didn't ask for.”
“As a Filipina-Palestinian, I have raised my voice and I have conquered my fears because I faced the struggles that I have been facing,” she said.
Ganados then emotionally revealed: “My family is still stuck in Gaza. And now that I'm fighting for their lives, I just want to do my best, be their representation, and raise their flags, just like who I am today as a Filipina-Palestinian.”
Despite narrowly missing a Top 3 placement, Ganados ranked third overall in the judges’ assessment with an impressive average score of 8.90, behind Porter and Nguyen. However, her strong judges’ score was not enough to overcome the competition’s online voting component, which accounted for 30 percent of the final tally.
The Philippines also fielded four other representatives in the competition: former Miss Philippines Earth Imelda Schweighart, Miss International Queen 2022 Fuschia Ravena, Manila-based Brazilian beauty queen Alexia Nuñez, and Universal Woman Arabia 2025 Keylyn Trajano.
Ravena advanced to the Top 18, while Ganados and Ravena earlier secured spots in the preliminary Top 15 rankings.
The coronation night was co-hosted by reigning Miss Grand International titleholder Emma Tiglao of the Philippines, together with Miss Universe Philippines 2023 Michelle Dee and Ecuadorian actor Danilo Carrera.
