Gazini Ganados Finishes in the Top 5 of Miss Grand International All Stars

The inaugural Miss Grand International (MGI) All Stars has just come to a close, and Filipino pageant fans are rejoicing because one of the five Philippine representatives finished in the top 5—Gazini Ganados.

The Filipina-Palestinian consistently ranked in the upper half of competition, in which 70% of the scores came from the judges while the remaining 30% was allotted to the public vote. Making the stakes higher was the fact that the scores would be reset to zero after every single round—top 18, top 10, top 5, and top 3.

During the announcement of the top 18, Gazini was called second and was also joined by another Filipina representative—Fuschia Anne Ravena, who unfortunately did not advance to the top 10. For the swimsuit round, Gazini placed 5th out of the 18 with a combined score of 6.66.

For the evening gown competition, Gazini wore a stunning sculptural gown with a cape by Rian Fernandez. The beauty queen gave a regal and graceful performance, which garnered a perfect 10 from five judges. Her overall score was 6.97, which placed her second among the top 10.

During the Q&A round for the top 5, Gazini chose judge Abena Akuaba who asked, "Cyberbullying has become one of the biggest threats facing young people today. Beyond simply telling people to be kind, what practical steps should society take to reduce cyberbullying?"

Gazini responded, "I was once a victim of cyberbullying. It is not easy to go through something that you didn't ask for. As a Filipina-Palestinian, I have raised my voice and I have conquered through my fears because I faced the struggles that I've been facing. My family is still stuck in Gaza, and now that I'm fighting for their lives, I just want to do my best and be their representation and raise their flags, just like who I am today as a Filipina-Palestinian."

Despite being ranked third by the judges, the public vote unfortunately pulled down Gazini's overall score to 6.26, causing her to miss a spot in the final 3. With this, Gazini finished her MGI All Stars journey in fifth place.

Vanessa Pulgarin of Colombia took home the first-ever MGI All Stars crown, while Faith Maria Porter of Ghana and Huong Giang of Vietnam were announced as the first and second runners-up, respectively.