Our Queen, Miss Universe Philippines Celeste Cortesi, is back in the Philippines. And she shared the message below about her Miss Universe journey. Regardless of what people said about your performance, I remain proud about the efforts you poured into the entire process. It wasn’t an easy task – daunting even – but you gave it your best shot. Just like the hashtag of PLDT Home – #beastrongeryou.
Posted @withregram • @celeste_cortesi I’m finally back home. 🇵🇭
The entire year has been the most challenging, and yet most exciting time of my life.
To represent my country, The Philippines, is my greatest honor.
I’ve always had the burning passion for my country, I was always very curious about The Philippines with its Islands, People and Culture and I will continue the pursuit of my Filipina Identity. I challenged myself and stepped out of my comfort zone by flying here alone as a very young woman. I’ve always known by heart that there are NO limits in what you can achieve as long as you are committed to the vision and your intentions are pure, as I have done by pushing myself beyond my limits in the services of my advocacies, training, and learning.
I am discovering purposes that goes beyond my self ambitions and I am immensely grateful to have had the chance to represent all Filipinos and all the sweet fans of pageantry around the world. 🇵🇭
To my team, thank you for being my safe place. You all believed in me more than anyone else and I am honored to be a part of this family. ❤️
To my fans, I feel your love, I hear your support, and I see your messages everyday. I now believe that my purpose is to inspire, and I will NEVER stop inspiring and motivating all of you, with or without the Universe Crown. I am committed. 👑
To my family and loved ones, thank you for never leaving my side. I wouldn’t know what to do without you. I am the luckiest person in the world and even tho I don’t express it as much as I would want to, just know I truly love you.
To my country, I stand PROUD to be a Filipina.
To my father, you guided me up to this day, you still are and will always do. I feel your protection. If you are redirecting me to a different path, to what is truly meant for me, I trust you and I know I still am in the right place at the right time. Thank you , my guardian angel. 🦋
Love, Celeste Rabimbi Cortesi
Forever your Miss Philippines. 🇵🇭🦋
#poweredbypldthome
#BeAStrongerYou #UniquelyBeautiful
#missuniversephilippines2023
normannorman.com 
Celeste was caught in the crossroads of two contending forces in pageantry: the preservation of the traditional ideologies and myths of a eurocentric competition between glamazons and the market-driven movement to advance the holistic concept of beauty along with other ideals of diversity, inclusivity, sustainability, gender equality, and environmental justice. The fans and handlers, vanguards of the status quo, kept Celeste fixated on physical beauty—perfecting her pasarela, gown carriage, styling, and even body aesthetics intervention. But as fate would have it, the survival instinct of the dying pageantry business led to a seismic paradigm shift championed by a new investor who halted MUO’s nosedive to bankruptcy. It turned out that the fans and Celestes’ handlers were unprepared for the paradigm shift that required qualities that were not part of her training curriculum.
MU is looking for exceptional, accomplished women who just so happen to take the risk of beauty pageants as part of their life path, NOT “professional beauty queens” and people groomed for pageants!
Beatrice Luigi Gomez was actually a great example. Many were surprised she cracked the top 5, but in retrospect, she is a an openly LGBTQ member in the military, pursuing her degree, and varsity volleyball player. Sure, Catriona had pageant ambitions from the beginning, but she made a name for herself and could sing.
It’s a bummer that it had to be Celeste who experienced this loss since she is such a lovely woman, but I hope that MUPH takes to heart the strong signal that you cannot fabricate a transformational leader. They need to have been doing the work, with pageantry as just one step.
Celeste can try vivamax films. Her beauty will be suitable there
I am so proud of Celeste!
She has become one of my favorite PH queens.
The judges did not see her dedication and determination.
I disagree with most people here who equates educational achievement with intelligence and leadership potential.
Some people become achievers because they come from privileged backgrounds.
Anyway, that’s water under the bridge.
Let us celebrate Celeste as one of the most amazing Filipinas we had sent to MU. ❤️
I’m with you that academic achievements alone is not indicative of intelligence, competence and wisdom.
Yes that’s true pero you have to be smart like street smart like Pia W. Si Diana Hayden nga MW 1997 ang galing kumuda and Sushmita considering their just hs graduates when they won and just 18. It’s either you are or you aren’t. Simple
I am glad she is finally back home and I am sure she enjoy her one month vacation in Los Angeles and New Orleans. It is time to move on and hopefully she will join another beauty pageant in the future. I believe the MUP org should be blame for her dismal performance, Celeste did everything possibly could help her to achieve the crown but her best effort is not enough to impress the judges.
tama ka grabe ang effort mo sa aurahan… pero mali ka, personality at leadership ang hanap… wala ka doon. maganda k nmn talaga try mo sa Supra..
Parang lahat, ‘ata, na sinabihan’g sumubok niyan, for one reason or another hindi nagtuloy~umulit… Two good examples are the co-Cebuana of MUP 2021 in the Nationals Top 5 & the Filipina-British BBP 2017 semifinalist.
In any case, with the current arrangement of that ‘pageant circle’ with the Heads of the Poland-based organization during the recent Yuletide holidays (the subject of a past post), it’s not far-fetched to assume the search will focus on a NEW FACE. #standalonenakami
The portrait looks so amazing , and her beauty is really amazing … we will never know the Q&A results , maybe she got nervous and her voice became really really shaky … but no matter what, she deserved to be in the Top 16 instead of that India , the 12th name on the top 16 list should have been Philippines ! but getting to top 5, HARD !
I appreciate her effort to represent our country well in MU. She may not have brought home the crown, but she had done a very good job in showcasing to the world the beautiful qualities of a Filipina.
She was too busy “slaying” on the street of LA who h has nothing to do with MU prepageant events. Her handlers mismanaged her and they focused on her Pasarela
She was too busy “slaying” on the street of LA who h has nothing to do with MU prepageant events. Her handlers mismanaged her and they focused on her Pasarela 😊
Very nice to fans , Celeste is .
Pls stay strong .
It will get better
you cannot deny that face! I think she will slay the Supra Runway with her VS Angel-ish glow kung nagkataon.