From among the 42 Official Candidates of Miss Asia-Pacific International 2017, I will go straight to the point and present to you my Top 8 ladies – the ones who fit the bill as the winner of this year’s edition and be the successor of Tessa Le Conge of the Netherlands. There are actually a few more deserving of inclusion in the magic circle, but these are the performers I have strong gut-feel for as being the eventual winner – with four of them being runners-up as well:

Lydia Simonis-Tariu of Cook Islands may be 8th on the list but she is the one I reckon could give a welcome surprise for the top spot, much like Davina Bennett of Jamaica in Miss Universe. She is the Face of this batch, but I want her to shine more in the finals and prove her crown-worthiness against my top choice Francielly Ouriques of Brazil who is a commanding Goddess of a favorite at this point, much like Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters of South Africa in Miss Universe. Not surprisingly, the South African in this batch – Chanelle Soncini – is also a fierce contender and could upend the others if the breaks go her way. Miss Philippines Ilene de Vera is a shoo-in for the Top 5 for me, not just because she is wearing that sash. She really delivered when it mattered most.

That leaves Acacia Walker of New Zealand, Valeria Cardona of Honduras, Francisca Wong Loi Sing of Suriname and Vuong Thanh Tuyem of Vietnam fighting for the final spot.

I would be happy with any one of my top picks claiming the victory in tomorrow night’s Finals at the Newport Performing Arts Theater of Resorts World Manila.

Best of luck, ladies!