The quest for the country’s first ever Miss Intercontinental crown got a big boost on Tuesday when Philippine representative Katarina Rodriguez placed third in the pageant’s Miss Sunrise Resorts 2017 online voting.
Katarina earned a total of 2,213 votes just behind Miss Indonesia Alicia Beverly Weley, who garnered 3,635 votes, and Miss Korea Lee Su Jin, who topped the poll with 3,638. As a result of winning the online vote, Miss Korea automatically earns a finals slot in the pageant.
As revealed by pageant organizers in the Miss Intercontinental website, the voting is not without its share of controversy.
“Due to renewed massive hacking attempts of the voting we were forced to end the voting prematurely. We regret that people try to manipulate the election in such a way and congratulate the 3 winners and Korea to enter to the Top 6 as Miss Sunrise Resorts 2017,” they posted in the page that announced the results.
Katarina has so far been doing well in the pageant as she was also one of only 10 contestants who qualified in a separate People’s Choice poll created by pageant blog, The Great Pageant Community. The winner of this separate poll will advance directly to the semifinals.
Although now considered a pageant powerhouse, the Philippines has never won the Miss Intercontinental crown. The pageant, however, has also awarded “continental” titles for Miss South America Intercontinental, Miss North America Intercontinental, Miss Europe Intercontinental, Miss Asia Intercontinental and Miss Africa Intercontinental.
The Philippines has won the Miss Asia Intercontinental title four times with Christi Lynn McGarry clinching it twice — in 2010 and again in 2015. McGarry is also the highest placing Filipina contestant in the pageant when she finished first runner-up also in 2015.
Aside from being a successful ramp, commercial and print model, Katarina also finished second runner up in the modelling search “Asia’s Next Top Model” in 2014 and is also known to be an advocate of peace and HIV-Aids awareness.
This year’s Miss Intercontinental coronation night will take place on January 24 at the Sunrise Resort in Hurghada, Egypt. A primary mover in Hurghada’s party scene, Sunrise Resort offers a scenic view of the sea and even has its own private beach and lagoon.
