Nicole Borromeo rates herself as an 8 in competing at Miss International 2023 pageant
Nicole Borromeo, the reigning Binibining Pilipinas International, is gearing up to represent the country in the upcoming Miss International 2023 pageant set to take place next month.
During her send-off event on Sept. 27 at the Gateway Mall 2 in Araneta City, the Cebuana beauty queen rated herself an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10 when it comes to being ready to compete on the international stage.
"I do like to think that I have improved since last year," the 22-year-old model revealed during the event.
"[It will] remain by 8 because at the end of the day, you were better [than] you were yesterday, you'll never be as perfect as a 10, as a 9, but you are on the right track and I'm in the right direction that I could ever wish for," she added.
Likewise, Nicole humbly acknowledged that one can never be fully ready for anything when she was asked if she was prepared to win the coveted 7th crown of Miss International for her country. However, she welcomed the opportunity with open arms while wanting to share a fresh perspective to the world through the pageant.
"I wanna say yes. I'm human. I don't think I'll ever be fully ready for anything that you want in life. You'll never be fully ready for it, but I am welcoming it with open arms," she said.
"I like to think I go the extra mile in sharing an experience with somebody. I never want to just do something by myself. I always feel like the best experiences are the ones that is shared with someone so that they themselves can also bring it home to their loved ones and create that ripple effect," she added.
Despite all of these, Nicole assured Filipino fans that her curiosity in viewing the world will help her win the crown while noting that this fight is not a one-man battle.
"My eagerness to learn about you, to learn about the culture, and hope that you want me to join in it as well. No man is an island, no journey is done on your own and the best of humanity is done for the community so I hope to include everybody on the journey of me," she said.
Her advocacy
During the event, the country's bet also highlighted her advocacy emphasizing the significance of well-being and the importance of having a safe and decent place to call home.
"I really saw the importance of well-being both physically and mentally. When I joined Binibining Pilipinas, I wanted to highlight how important it is for everybody to have a place to call home because how can you have the mental fortitude to face the adversaries, to enjoy life when you don't even have the basic necessity of a safe and decent roof over your head," Borromeo told media.
"This year, I'd like to not only highlight that, but as well as my art therapy, showcasing to the world that it is possible for us to live in a safe and decent environment that is crucial for us. It's a no-brainer, everybody deserves this and nobody should be getting left behind," she added.
She added that the platforms of Binibining Pilipinas and Miss International would help in pushing her advocacies when she represents the country in Japan.
"There are so many aspects that come to mind when you think of home. It's more than just the physical space, you're thinking about your livelihood, you're thinking about your well-being, and I know it sounds like it's a lot to chew, it sounds like a big, big vision but I'm confident that especially with platforms like Binibining Pilipinas, Miss International, it is possible. We can achieve a world where there is no poverty and everyone has a home," she said.
Miss International 2023 will be held on October 26 at Yoyogi Gymnasium No. 2 in Tokyo, Japan.
This year's pageant will be removing the swimsuit parade during the finals night. Instead, it will only be done during the closed-door preliminary evaluation.
"There will be no more SWIMSUIT PARADE during the final gala of #MissInternational2023. Swimsuit evaluation will only be done during the closed-door preliminary evaluation," the organization said on July 22.
It also announced on social media that the winner "will be evaluated based on their attitude, punctuality, beauty of face, body proportion, intelligence, and their social contribution."
Borromeo will aim for the Philippines' seventh Miss International crown. Her predecessor, Hannah Arnold, finished in the Top 15 last year.
