MANILA, Philippines – Krishnah Marie Gravidez bested 32 other candidates to take home the title of Miss World Philippines 2024 during the coronation night held at the Mall of Asia Arena, on Friday, July 19.
The 23-year-old stunner from Baguio, succeeded Miss World Philippines 2022 Gwendolyne Fourniol to clinch her second crown from a national pageant.
Describing her family situation as “far from ideal,” Krishnah said in her Miss World Philippines introduction video that she had to “step up out of necessity” as the eldest child in her family.
The beauty queen revealed in a May 2019 Wowowin episode that her parents had been separated for 10 years and that she and her siblings had been living with their grandmother, their “mamalo.” In an Instagram post, she penned an appreciation post for her, saying her grandmother had dedicated her life to taking care of her and her cousins.
“If I were to be asked who’s one of my biggest inspirations, without a doubt, it would be her. She’s the loveliest, most caring, and thoughtful person I know,” she said. “The thought of 11 years of her life that were given mainly to us without asking anything in return is unimaginable.”
Despite their unusual set-up, Krishnah remained family-oriented. In an Instagram post, she recalled that her family had been supportive of her dream of becoming a beauty queen ever since she was six years old.
“As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to realize that it’s all about the sacrifices of our parents, on how selfless they will be for us. How far they will go just to make our dreams happen,” she said. “I am so grateful that I have had the support of my parents, my relatives, and friends from years ago until now. They hold a piece of my dream, and I will forever cherish them.”
Pageantry, Krishnah said, also played a big role in her financial situation, saying that she used her prize money in beauty pageants to pay for her tuition fee. She’s currently studying civil engineering — her dream course.
Aside from joining competitions, Krishnah also started selling lip tints and ukay-ukay (pre-loved) clothes for extra allowance, and even worked in a fast-food chain. Now, the university student is also working as a model, content creator, and ad specialist.
“I’ve been self-sufficient since I was 14. That shows that I’m a hard working and resilient woman. That’s why I want to impart to the youth that they are capable of greater things if they work hard for it,” she said in her personality interview for the Miss Universe Philippines 2023 pageant.
She again echoed the same sentiment in her Miss World Philippines video, saying: “Although poverty seemingly limited my options, it did not limit my dreams. It opened the window to a world full of possibilities and kindness.”
Her experience, she added, drove her to start an initiative called “Color the world with Kindness” to support youth welfare.
Outside of pageantry, Krishnah continues to explore her musical passion and take care of her eight furbabies. “If you’ll ask me what’s my breather, it’s simply dogs,” she said in the Her Story video. “They hold a special place in my heart as they’ve seen me in my most vulnerable point.”
Krishnah first made her presence known in a major pageant through the Miss Universe Philippines 2023 competition.
However, in an August 2022 Instagram post, the Baguio native said that she almost gave up pageantry. “Three years ago, I let my doubts invade me, to the extent of making the decision to give up all the ambitions I have for pageantry,” she said. But Krishnah shared that she decided to continue as she’s been called for a “certain purpose.”
While the Miss Universe Philippines 2023 competition was Krishnah’s first foray in a major local pageant, her stellar performance landed her a Top 5 finish. She was eventually named Miss Charm Philippines 2023.
Although many pageant fans were looking forward to seeing Krishnah represent the Philippines on the international stage, she surprised her supporters in June 2024 when she announced that she was relinquishing her spot for the Miss Charm International competition.
At the time of her announcement, Krishnah didn’t disclose any reason for her withdrawal. Days later, it was revealed that she was a candidate for the Miss World Philippines 2024 pageant.
Krishnah was one of the early frontrunners from the start of the competition. She was among the delegates who topped several fast-track events, eventually winning the Miss Multimedia and Top Model fast-track competitions during the coronation night.
At the finals ceremony, Krishnah continued to dominate the competition and earned the title of this year’s “hakot” (haul) queen after sweeping nine special awards apart from the crown. Her pageant performance earned her the recognition of Miss Photogenic, Best in Swimsuit and Evening Gown, as well as five more awards from sponsors.
During the question and answer segment, Krishnah was asked: “Should inclusivity be a top priority among pageants? Yes or no? Explain your answer.”
Her winning answer: “Pageantry is a platform where we express ourselves as women and men. I feel like this is a platform to promote our advocacies, the cause we are fighting for, and the things that we love. I think that in a world [that’s] evolving, we as humans, we should evolve too.”
Krishnah will be representing the Philippines in the Miss World 2024 pageant, in hopes of clinching the country’s second Miss World crown. – Rappler.com
