Geline Salac

Photos from the Facebook pages of Miss Grand International and Miss Eco International

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ABS-CBN News

<p>Miss Grand International (MGI) has officially severed ties with Miss Eco International as its way of standing up against the latter&#x27;s &quot;unfair&quot; treatment of contestants. </p><p>In a statement released on Tuesday, May 26, the Thai conglomerate said it will stop sending representatives to Miss Eco International after issues in the recently concluded edition of the pageant.</p><p>MGI expressed concern over incidents where Miss Eco International 2026 candidates were supposedly made to pay for sightseeing activities and transportation that should have been covered by organizers.</p><p>It also mentioned &quot;the collection of a deposit fee without clear transparency regarding the refund process, along with an apparent reluctance to return the deposits appropriately.&quot; </p><p>&quot;The company considers such actions inappropriate, lacking proper standards of contestant care, and potentially exploitative and dishonest toward participants,&quot; MGI said. </p><p>&quot;Airport transfers, transportation arrangements, and official competition activities should reasonably fall under the responsibility and proper management of the organizing body, with the welfare and rights of contestants being treated as a priority,&quot; it added. </p><p>On top of this, MGI said it will no longer accept delegates affiliated with Miss Eco International to participate in its pageants. </p><p>This applies to representatives of Egypt, where Miss Eco International is based, that are appointed or sent by the organization.</p><p>&quot;Contestants from other countries will still be eligible to participate in Miss Grand International as usual,&quot; read a follow-up comment on the MGI Thailand Facebook page, where the statement was released. </p><p>Read the full statement below:</p><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fmissgrandthailand%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0xjjkhLiptMuRCd6LZXZUfJQBPBH3NMkRoC8e8C2BaGFda9so4USfYur1d95Vw11Nl&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=500" width="500" height="520" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>Miss Eco International has been facing backlash after excluding Vietnam&#x27;s Nguyen Thi Thu Truc in the Top 10 despite winning the online People&#x27;s Choice vote.</p><p>She was crowned Miss Eco Asia 2026 at the end of the pageant, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MissEcoInternational/posts/pfbid02XSpuPtDsbRn99vtyAn3DR3djg8YceV1Ghu7Pa5GgtycDkvVBucb5pzUkpwUJD6ndl">but the title was later revoked by the organization</a> amid allegations of bribery by Vietnam&#x27;s national director.</p><p>Miss Eco International also released a statement explaining changes in its selection of the Top 10.</p><p>&quot;The [online voting] campaign was initially communicated as a Top 10 advancement opportunity... During the final stages of the competition, the advancement structure was ultimately integrated into the official judging and overall evaluation system to ensure balance and fairness within the final results,&quot; it said. </p><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FMissEcoInternational%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0324pY2SCCp4y5pNaxEgKGznm7B5Le4rUr2kVZxhRCLELAsyMx6DtXMAY4Qdt9iefAl&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=500" width="500" height="498" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/pageants-beauty-queens/2026/5/23/mexico-wins-miss-eco-international-2026-ph-s-gabbi-carballo-finishes-in-top-21-0722">Palmira Ruiz of Mexico was crowned Miss Eco International 2026</a> in Egypt last May 22 (May 23 in the Philippines), succeeding Filipina Alexie Brooks.</p><p>The country&#x27;s representative, Gabbi Carballo, finished in the Top 21.</p>

<p>Miss Grand International has officially severed ties with Miss Eco International as its way of standing up against the latter's "unfair" treatment of contestants.</p>

Miss Grand International has officially severed ties with Miss Eco International as its way of standing up against the latter's "unfair" treatment of contestants.

Miss Grand cuts ties with Miss Eco International, citing 'unfair' treatment of contestants

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Miss Grand cuts ties with Miss Eco International, citing 'unfair' treatment of contestants

ABS-CBN News

Published May 26, 2026 01:13 PM PHT

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