Leren Mae Bautista hopes to bring home the fifth international beauty pageant title for the Philippines this year as she competes in the Miss Tourism Queen of the Year which will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, 2015.
Leren Mae Bautista (Photo courtesy of Miss Tourism Queen of the Year International Facebook page)
During a press send-off held at Midas Hotel and Casino in Pasay City, Bautista said that she will also promote the beauty of Laguna when she competes abroad.
“Sa Laguna kasi doon ako lumaki at doon ko natutunan kung paano maging isang tunay na tao, which is to be responsible and how to respect the people,” Bautista said.
The beauty queen said that she would like to invite her co-candidates in Los Baños, particularly in Mount Makiling, her hometown.
“Gusto ko i-share sa kanila kung gaano ka-majestic ang Mt. Makiling at maraming maibibigay ang Mt. Makiling sa kanila,” Bautista also said.
Bautista, 22, is a part-time model who is a marketing management graduate of Colegio de San Juan de Letran. The 5’9 beauty loves to read, travels a lot, and plays volleyball.
At the 2015 Mutya ng Pilipinas beauty contest held in August, Bautista also won special awards such as Best in Swimsuit and Best in Long Gown.
So far this year, the Philippines has won four international titles in beauty pageants.
On October 8, Ann Lorraine Colis was crowned Miss Globe in Toronto, Canada.
Transgender Trixie Maristela bested 26 other contestants in the Miss International Queen 2015 in Bangkok, Thailand.
Filipino nurse Cindy Madumma was named Miss Scuba International 2015 in a pageant held in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia on Nov. 28
Angelia Ong of Manila was crowned Miss Earth in Vienna, Austria on Dec. 5.
Aside from Bautista, three more Filipino queens are set to compete in beauty contests abroad. They are Cristi Lynn McGarry, 2015 Miss Intercontinental beauty contest in Magdeburg, Germany, Dec. 18; Hillarie Danielle Parungao, Miss World, Sanya, China, Dec. 19; and Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, Miss Universe, Las Vegas, Nevada, Dec. 20.