Binibining Pilipinas officially drops Miss Grand International

MANILA, Philippines — The Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI) has officially withdrawn from the Miss Grand International (MGI) pageant.

In a statement released yesterday, BPCI said that it will not renew its francise with the Thailand-based pageant. 

"Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI) officially withdraws from Miss Grand International (MGI) and will no longer renew its franchise," BPCI said. 

"We thank the organizers of Miss Grand International and wish them the best in their future endeavours," it added. 

BPCI said that it will remain committed to producing world-class candidates for different international pageants. 

"With that said, we remain committed to delighting our followers and sponsors through the productions of world-class pageants that help propel Filipinos to reach their fullest potential and achieve greatness in an international stage. For almost 60 years, we have built BPCI’s legacy in producing a stellar roster of international winners and over the decades we have enjoyed the immense support of our fans,” it said. 

"We will be forever grateful for their dedication, passion, and love for Bb. Pilipinas and our Queens," it added. 

This came after social media clamor for BPCI to withdraw from MGI for alleged favoritism. 

Related: Catriona Gray reacts to calls for Philippines to drop Miss Grand International

The clamor got stronger after the Philippines' latest representative, Roberta Tamondong, failed to land in the Top 10 at the pageant held last October 25. 

Tamondong, however, was hailed as fifth runner-up after Miss Grand Mauritius Yuvna Rinishta resigned. 

Reports said that the Miss World Philippines organization, headed by Arnold Vegafria, is interested to acquire the MGI franchise for the Philippines after BPCI. 

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