The national costume of Bb. Pilipinas-Miss International Patch Magtanong during the coronation night of the beauty contest was inspired by the clothing of Tausug people of Mindanao.
The beauty queen-lawyer shared this on Instagram on November 12. Magtanong is vying to win the much-coveted crown at the Tokyo Dome City Hall in Japan on November 12.
Magtanong expressed her gratitude to Filipino designer Amir Mirsali for her outfit.
She was with the chairman of the Miss Paris group, Akemi Shimomura-san on the photo posted on October 31.
“My national costume designed by @iamamirsali pays tribute to the Tausug people of Mindanao in Southern Philippines, as well as the different uses of the Malong, from a skirt, to a blanket, or even to wrap or swaddle a newborn baby,” she said in the caption.
“So much thought, detail and love was put into this costume and I was so proud to wear it. Thank you Tito Amir and Hany!” she added.
She also asked others to pray for the victims of the recent earthquakes that ravaged Mindanao last October.
“My costume is also relevant because of the consecutive destructive earthquakes the past few days in Mindanao which caused great damage to property and a few casualties. The Philippines is no stranger to calamities, but each time is never easy, please pray for my country,” she said.
Marsali also shared photos of Magtanong with the costume on his Instagram.
Mindanao residents suffered three consecutive earthquakes in just two weeks of October. The first one was a magnitude 6.3 earthquake that struck on October 16, and then two tremors the next week, the 6.5-magnitude on October 29 and 6.6-magnitude ones on October 31.
The Tausug, meanwhile, is a dominant ethnic group in the province of Sulu in terms of political and religious institutions.
They are scattered in the municipalities of Sulu, Patikul, Indanan and Siasi in Sulu, as well as in some parts of Zamboanga del Sur and Cotabato.
Journey during the competition
Prior to the event, Magtanong shared her thoughts and sentiments she had throughout the three-week competition.
Instead of anxiety and stress, she had a fulfilling cultural experience and developed friendships with the rest of the candidates from different countries.
“I believe I was able to maximize my time here in Miss International. I grew so much, I learned more about the world and other cultures than I ever have before and I experienced Japan in a way I never would have gotten to if I didn’t join this pageant. Most of all, I had a whole lot of fun!” she said on Instagram.
Magtanong further emphasized how she felt at home with them even if they have different nationalities.
“I didn’t expect to connect so deeply with so many of my sisters, because we come from different countries, but it was so easy, and every person I talked to, I felt so at home,” she said.
Last June, Magtanong was among the list of board passers of the Bar Exam.
She graduated with a degree in Business Economics from the University of the Philippines in July 2014.
