Still A Queen: Gazini Ganados Ends Miss Universe Journey Early

Gazini Ganados, the 23-year-old Filipino-Palestinian lass from Cebu and the Philippines’ bet in the 2019 Miss Universe pageant was eliminated early in the competition yesterday.

Ganados, who was selected as part of the top 20 during the pageant night at the Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, Georgia on Dec. 8 (Dec. 9 in Manila), failed to advance to the top 10.

Fellow Filipina and reigning Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray passed the new $5-million diamond-encrusted crown — dubbed the Power of Unity from jeweler Mouawad — to 26-year-old Zozibini Tunzi from South Africa. She is the sixth woman of African-American descent and the third South African to win the Miss Universe crown.

Miss Puerto Rico Madison Anderson was named first runner-up, while Miss Mexico Sofía Aragón was second runner-up.

Prior to Tunzi, Janelle Commissiong from Trinidad and Tobago in 1977, Chelsi Smith from the United States in 1995, Wendy Fitzwilliam from Trinidad and Tobago in 1998, Mpule Kwelagobe from Botswana in 1999 and Leila Lopes from Angola in 2011 were also crowned Miss Universe. Likewise, Miss Universe 2006 Zuleyka Rivera from Puerto Rico is also of mixed African and indigenous ethnicity.

She flew like an eagle

Ganados’ loss ended hopes of a back-to-back Miss Universe win for the Philippines. Only Venezuela has achieved a back-to-back victory when Miss Universe 2008 Dayana Mendoza passed the crown to Stefania Fernandez in 2009.

Though she failed to advance to the top, the Cebuana lass still shone throughout the pageant and won the National Costume Competition — but not without another hiccup from host Steve Harvey.

While announcing the results of the National Costume Competition, Harvey announced Ganados as the winner after the onstage LED screen flashed her photo, but the candidate that was presented on stage, Miss Malaysia Shweta Sekhon in her national costume, immediately corrected him.

“It’s not Philippines, it’s Malaysia,” Sekhon said, to which Harvey quickly explained, “I just read that in the teleprompter. You all got to quit doing this to me. I could read what it said and they’re trying to fix it now.”

He then introduced and congratulated Sekhon, and even let her explain what her costume meant and what it was made of.

In a tweet after the pageant, the Miss Universe Organization clarified that Harvey correctly announced Ganados as the winner of the National Costume Competition. 

.@IAmSteveHarvey had it right: Miss Universe Philippines Gazini Ganados is the winner of the #MissUniverse2019 National Costume competition! Congratulations, Gazini. 🎉 pic.twitter.com/L8DpAyNL9I — Miss Universe (@MissUniverse) December 9, 2019

Harvey previously mixed up the names of Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez and Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach when he announced the winner of the 2015 Miss Universe pageant.

Ganados’ Philippine Eagle-inspired national costume and evening gown by Filipino fashion designer Cary Santiago wowed the judges during the pageant preliminaries in Atlanta on Dec. 7 (Dec. 8 in Manila).

“I created a national costume that is somehow worthy for an international event. I took my inspiration from our national bird. The design is not as flamboyant, but the details are very intricate. Its hand-stitched all coming from the same fabric with my signature laser cut patterns,” Santiago said in a Facebook post on Dec. 6.

“For the evening gowns, I made several for her, but we are down to two that will be used both for (preliminaries) and for pageant night. It is fabric manipulation sans the glitter. The silhouette showcases her figure which makes it even more beautiful,” he added. 

In a Facebook post after the pageant, he also congratulated his long-time muse. “Congratulations Gazini Christiana Jordi Ganados for being always in the leaderboard of the international pageant sites in both swimsuit and evening gown,” Santiago said.

A queen for older persons

During the pageant, Ganados also showed her passion for her advocacy of providing care and aid to the elderly and called for an end to the stigma concerning senior citizens.

“The world is aging, and my grandparents raised me, and I've worked in an organization that was supporting elderly care. I learned then, I realized that there’s this stigma between ageism, poverty, exclusivity and invisibility. It is rightful for us that they are the ones who paved the way for us, and we should reciprocate that love, and no one should be left behind,” Ganados said in her opening statement after entering the top 20.

In an interview with The Philippine STAR’s Nathalie Tomada in July, Ganados said she dreams of helping establish a senior citizens’ center with activities for the elderly, so they won’t feel useless, ignored or neglected. She imagines it as a place of fellowship and bonding among lolas and lolos with their grandchildren, as well as a center that can help them earn some income and remain productive. 

Before she left the country for the competition, Ganados worked with the Coalition of Services of the Elderly (COSE) and the Confederation of Older Persons Associations of the Philippines as a goodwill ambassador to promote awareness on the rights and current status of the elderly in the country. 

She also called on people to join her in participating in the BayaniRun 2019, an advocacy run organized by iVolunteer Philippines, wherein participants can select an advocacy where proceeds of their run would go. During the event on Nov. 17 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines grounds in Pasay City, Ganados ran with members of COSE, the beneficiary of her run. 

In a statement sent to The STAR, COSE said, “Miss Universe 2019 Gazini Ganados will always be a queen to many older persons whom she is representing and advocating for. She may not have been crowned as Miss Universe 2019 but she will always carry that shining, priceless and timeless crown of a Miss Universe of the Older Persons.”

“To Miss Gazini, you may have chosen a road less traveled… an advocacy least chosen but you have succeeded in exposing ageism and the plight and issues of the older persons. You have paved a new way to advocate for the rights of the older persons by bringing your advocacy to care for the elderly, which has always been rooted from your experience with and love for your grandparents, in the international pageantry. This for us is a quality of a true queen! It is not the end for you, rather a beginning of a whole lot of opportunities to continue your advocacies as you come home to the Philippines, the home of confidently beautiful queens,” the statement added. 

Aside from COSE, Malacañang also congratulated Ganados even though she ended her pageant journey early.

“Ms. Ganados has given pride and glory to the Filipino nation by showcasing the unique beauty and talent of the Filipina,” presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

“Her experience in joining the prestigious beauty pageant should add further to her development as a beauty queen,” Panelo, who also wished Ganados all the best in her future endeavors, added.

In her hometown of Talisay, Cebu, people watched and cheered for Ganados at the city hall where a live feed of the pageant was aired. Despite her loss, Talisay Mayor Samsam Gullar congratulated Ganados in Facebook post. 

Likewise, in a Facebook post, the Binibining Pilipinas Charities greeted Ganados for representing the country in the pageant.

“Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc. congratulates Gazini Ganados for raising the flag of the Philippines in the Miss Universe stage and for showcasing the beauty of our culture through winning the National Costume award. Congratulations Gazini! #MissUniverse2019 #MissUniversePhilippines2019 #BbPilipinas2019”

Ganados may turn out to be the last Miss Universe Philippines to be selected through the Binibining Pilipinas pageant. In an announcement on the Facebook page of Miss Universe Philippines, the Miss Universe Organization said that it is ending its more than 50-year partnership with the Binibining Pilipinas Charities and is partnering with the MUP, headed by its national director, 2011 Miss Universe Shamcey Supsup, beginning next year.