Fil-Am Ms USA proclaimed Ms Universe 2022

FILIPINO American R’Bonney Gabriel from the United States was proclaimed 2022 Miss Universe at the culmination of the pageant’s 71st edition.

The pageant was held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the United States on Jan. 14 (Jan. 15 in Manila).

Gabriel, a fashion designer, sewing teacher, and model, and is the first-ever Filipino-American Miss USA.

Gabriel, from Houston, Texas, bested bested 83 candidates in the competition to be USA’s ninth representative to win the title. The Filipino-American beauty queen succeeded Harnaaz Sandhu of India. 

The rest of the top three was ranked as follows: 

1st runner-up: Amanda Dudamel (Venezuela)

2nd runner-up: Andreína Martínez (Dominican Republican

Meanwhile, the Philippines’ Celeste Cortesi failed to enter the pageant’s Top 16, breaking the country’s 12-year streak of entering the semifinals. 

This month’s staging of the competition is a transition edition for the Miss Universe Organization (MUO), after Thai media mogul Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip of Bangkok-based JKN Global Group acquired full ownership in October last year.

Jakrajutatip is the first transwoman and non-American to own the MUO, and has acquired all the three pageants under the organization—Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA.