Cebuana Gazini Ganados succeeds Catriona Gray as Binibining Pilipinas Universe 2019
MANILA, Philippines — An early pageant favorite for her strong Latina looks, Gazini Ganados, wins as the Philippines’ official representative to the 2019 Miss Universe pageant.
Ganados of Talisay, Cebu has been crowned Bb. Pilipinas Universe 2019 at the coronation night held in Araneta Coliseum, Cubao, Quezon City on June 9. Her fellow Cebuana, Samantha Ashley Lo of Cebu City, was crowned Bb. Pilipinas-Grand International 2019. It was a surprise that their fellow Cebuana and pageant favorite, Ilene De Vera of Mandaue City, Cebu, failed to make it to the top 25.
From the moment Gazini was named The Face of Binibini (Miss Photogenic) and Best in Long Gown, fans of the 23-year-old, half-Palestinian beauty (who fondly call themselves the "Gazininjas"), already had a good feeling that she is going home with the topmost title by the end of the night.
Prior to winning as Binibining Pilipinas Universe, Gazini has garnered the second most likes on the pageant’s Facebook page, next to Vickie Rushton of Negros Occidental.
But in the question and answer portion, Ganados emphasized her advocacy for the elderly.
One of the judges, Bobby Barreiro, ABS-CBN's Integrated Events Head, asked her: “If you win the crown tonight, what will you do to get more women in the workplace?”
Gazini answered: “If I win the crown tonight, what I do is to promote my advocacy. My advocacy is for us women to fight for our rights and for the elderly women and for us to know that someone is loving us, someone is pushing us to whatever ambitions that we have.”
“We will be able to rise from our decisions, to whatever dreams that we have, goals that we have, and we will achieve it because of those values, those wisdoms that they gave us. Thank you,” she added.
Gazini Christiana Jordi Ganados, also called by her nickname Gaz, reportedly grew up with her grandparents, which prompted her desire to take care of the elderly. Likewise, she enjoys taking care of her fur babies, listening to Cebuano songs, watching Disney movies, and learning about self-improvement and business from podcasts.
In her profile video for Binibini, the five-foot-eight Tourism graduate from University of San Jose-Recoletos in Cebu City stressed that her advocacy for the elderly involves not only adding to their quantity of life or prolonging their life span, but also improving their quality of life. She feels that the elderly are among those most neglected in the society.
In an interview during the press presentation, Gazini said that apart from promoting the cause of the elderly, one of her reasons for becoming a beauty queen is to have a chance to travel to meet her father, who she has never seen.
“I don’t know if he is still alive. I’m hoping for the best. He’s a Palestinian. I just wanna go there and try to look for him,” Manila Bulletin quoted her as saying.
“I heard a lot of good stories about Palestines. They have good food. Who knows? I would bump into him.”
If she would ever meet her father, she said: "I would give him a hug. I would thank him for the genes because without him, I wouldn’t be here... I’d be joyful. That would be the happiest day of my life."
Prior to joining Binibining Pilipinas, Gazini was Miss Cesafi in 2016, Miss Bohol 2017 first runner-up, and was a Miss World Philippines 2014 contestant.
“I am excited for what the future holds,” she said in another press interview. “I feel positivity in all my heart!”
If victorious, Ganados will become the Philippines’ fifth Miss Universe titleholder, following Gloria Diaz (1969), Margie Moran (1973), Pia Wurtzbach (2015) and Catriona Gray (2018).
RELATED: LIST: Binibining Pilipinas 2019 winners, top 25, special awards, highlights
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