Juvyel Anne Saluta becomes first Filipina to win Miss Elite crown
Philippine bet Juvyel Anne Saluta made history as the first Filipina to win the Miss Elite 2024 crown held on Somabay, Egypt, on Saturday, Sept. 14 (PH time).
The 19-year-old college student bested 34 other candidates and was succeeded by Mejreme Hajdaraj from Kosovo.
She also received the Best Smile award in the international pageant.
On Instagram, Juvyel expressed her gratitude to the people behind her success. She thanked the Miss Elite World Organization, her co-candidates, the Hiyas ng Pilipinas organization, her core team, friends, family, and loved ones.
"First and foremost, I want to say a huge thank you to Lord God for His guidance. I actually asked God for a sign—a butterfly. Little did I know, I would be wearing a butterfly gown! I felt His presence with me every step of the way," she wrote in the caption.
Juvyel continued, "I love you all so much. You are my strength and my peace, and without you, none of this would have been possible. I will always be thankful for each and every one of you."
Meanwhile, Venezuela's Victoria Maneiro was hailed as the first runner-up, while Irene Grande from Spain was named the second runner-up.
Sofia Gonzales of Mexico and Indonesia's Tawana Sheldrick claimed the third and fourth runner-up positions, respectively.
Juvyel was crowned Miss Elite Philippines in July after the Hiyas ng Pilipinas Foundation Inc. obtained the license for the international pageant.
The Pinay beauty queen was crowned Hiyas ng Pilipinas-Continental World in 2023 and was originally planned to compete in Miss Continental World 2024 in Thailand. However, due to the cancellation of the international pageant, she was appointed to represent the Philippines in Miss Elite 2024.
Prior to this, Juvyel joined other local pageants such as Miss Manila 2023, Miss Bikini Philippines 2021, and Miss FIT (Face, Intelligence, Tone) Philippines 2022 pageants.
In 2022, Shanon Tampon represented the country in the international pageant, where she finished as first runner-up. She also won Miss Elite Asia and Best in Evening Gown.