MANILA, Philippines - She may have not won the title, Janicel Lubina definitely won the hearts of millions when she competed in the Miss International 2015 pageant in Tokyo, Japan on Thursday.
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The 20-year-old beauty from Palawan made it to the top 10 of the competition but was dropped from the top five.
Nonetheless, she proved to be standout onstage just the same. Janicel won the Best Dresser special award, and became a favorite on social media with her touching speech about her life "as a simple woman who came from a poor family."
Her journey as a beauty queen titleholder began when she won the Binibining Pilipinas-International 2015 title earlier this year. But Janicel is actually a beauty pageant veteran, having joined the Miss Scuba International and Slimmer Word Miss Bikini Philippines contests in 2012.
In 2013, she was named 1st Princess in Miss World Philippines, losing to Megan World who eventually won the Miss World title.
Janicel's story as a simple woman who was former house helper and farmer from Palawan to a beauty queen has gained attention from local and international press, earning the tag of "Philippines' Cinderella."
Check out the journey of Janicel Lubina as a beauty in the slideshow below: