Arzen Rose Dulzura

Winwyn Marquez on recent pageant controversy: ‘It’s not the Miss Universe that I grew up with’

Article (news)

Rhea Manila Santos

Push Team

<p>After making her pageant comeback this year when she represented Muntinlupa City at the 2025 Miss Universe Philippines (MUPH) where she finished first runner-up, actress Winwyn Marquez admitted she did not expect to have a career in pageantry to last this long after taking home the first-ever Reina Hispanoamericana crown for the country in 2017. </p><p>“I actually posted recently that I’ve been in the pageant scene for ten years already. And I’m just proud of myself that I’m still here. And I’m so happy that people still remember me as a beauty queen, hindi nawawala yun. I’m just thankful for the people who taught me how to handle everything, how to have the right choices. Because hindi naman siguro ako tatagal ng ten years or so kung wala akong na-co-contribute.</p><p>“Kasi at the end of the day, it’s to inspire people di ba? So I just try to share a bit of myself and hopefully may natatamaan na tao na, ‘Ah puwede pala ako maging ganun,” she told <strong>PUSH ABS-CBN </strong>in an exclusive interview during the Grand VIP Day of Furniture Republic in Makati City last November 28. </p><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-10" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DRl8Xe1kvGB/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=768&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A10%2C%22os%22%3A5096066.299999952%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="793" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-10" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2025/2/10/winwyn-marquez-returns-to-the-pageant-scene-after-8-years-hello-philippines-hello-universe-1621"><strong><u>READ: Winwyn Marquez returns to the pageant scene after 8 years: ‘Hello, Philippines! Hello, Universe!’</u></strong></a></div><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-8" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DQGw_TBkZnX/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=768&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A8%2C%22os%22%3A5049673.399999976%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="889" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-8" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>What with all the controversy surrounding the recent Miss Universe pageant held in Bangkok, Thailand earlier this month, Win shared that she would rather focus on highlighting how proud she is of the performance of her fellow beauty queen Ahtisa Manalo, who finished third runner up. </p><p>“You know, it’s hard to see eh. Kasi we all preach for women empowerment. It’s not the Miss Universe that I grew up with eh. it’s very different now. But again, sana mag iba, kung ano yung nangyayari. Sana maayos nila kung ano yung nangyayari. Hindi ko alam eh, na-ha-heartbreak ako kasi (laughs). You know, when I watched Ahtisa, she’s a friend of mine and she did really, really well, alongside other beautiful candidates as well, hindi ba? The important thing is, kung ano nangyari sa loob ng organization nila, ang iniisip ko na lang, Ahtisa really represented the Philippines really well and I think everyone saw that naman,” she explained. </p><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-6" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPG0NXTD1mE/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=768&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A6%2C%22os%22%3A5029083.199999988%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="847" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-6" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-4" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DJLAMV4TsVL/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=768&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A4%2C%22os%22%3A5013091.799999952%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="847" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-4" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-2" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DJJiIYSPD1C/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=768&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A2%2C%22os%22%3A4995398.399999976%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="847" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-2" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>Looking back at her first experience in an international beauty pageant and becoming the first Asian woman to win the Reina Hispanoamericana crown, Winwyn admitted she was thankful not having to witness any controversy or issues unlike the controversies surrounding the Miss Universe pageant this year. </p><p>“Iba yung experience ko noon back in 2017 when I competed abroad. Positivity lang talaga. It was about performance on that night. It was about creating friendships from different cultures. It was about uplifting others as well. I competed in Bolivia and all the Latinas were very kind to me and they treated me like their sister, up until now. Yun yung take home mo eh, kahit hindi ka manalo. Alam mong may nabuo kang friendships as well, hindi ba? So I hope ganun pa rin yung nangyari sa girls, so kahit may controversy na nangyari, sana may mga friendships silang nabuo, may culture silang natutunan. I just really wish na maayos lang kung ano man yung nangyayari sa organization,” she said. </p>

<p>Actress and beauty queen Winwyn Marquez shares with PUSH ABS-CBN in this exclusive interview how different her experience representing the Philippines was during her first international pageant in 2017.</p>

Actress and beauty queen Winwyn Marquez shares with PUSH ABS-CBN in this exclusive interview how different her experience representing the Philippines was during her first international pageant in 2017.