Yet another Filipina woman has brought home the crown, with the recent win of Police Officer 2 (PO2) Ruby Anzenie Rojas- Zarrandona as Ms Hope International 2016. She also won special awards: Best in Interview, Best in Community Service, Ms. Wella Hair, and Stunning Shoes.
Ms Hope International is one of the three pageants collectively known as The Hope Pageant hosted by Acting Hope, a non-profit organization that aims to help empower women and children. The pageants are Miss Teen Hope International (for teens), Miss Hope International, and Ms Hope International (for married women).
These pageants differ from the usual beauty pageants in that contestants are not judged mainly on beauty. According to CEO and co-founder Ingrid Burger of Acting Hope and Hope Pageants International, “The Hope Pageant is about your character, values, and your heart to make a difference.”
“It is one of the greatest opportunities for children and women around the world to focus on using their own talents to make an impact in their communities and helps them to start living their own purpose driven lives.”
In judging who wins the competition, the judges look in the contributions that these beauties have made to “struggling and disadvantaged communities”. This comprises 50% of the final score!
Watch this video to learn more about The Hope Pageant: