Michelle Dee takes her final walk as Miss Universe Philippines
Queen MMD is passing on her crown!
Michelle Dee took her final walk as Miss Universe Philippines 2023 at the Mall of Asia Arena on May 22.
The beauty queen donned her Apo Whang-Od-inspired gown which she also wore at the Miss Universe pageant in 2023 in El Salvador.
In her farewell speech, Michelle thanked her supporters who were with her every step of the way.
She also said that during her reign, she got to embrace her "authentic self."
"I stopped trying to conform and started focusing on what it truly means to be Miss Universe Philippines," she said.
The beauty queen also thanked the designer behind her tattoo-inspired gown, Mark Bumgarner. "Your designs will forever be centered in our history books and also forever tattooed in my heart."
"To the rest of my Miss Universe Philippines family, [...] thank you for allowing me to share our stories and our triumphs[.] This may be the end of my reign but this is the start of a beautiful chapter," Michelle said.
"To the next queen, my best advice is to move and live with purpose. Be certain of who you are, and who you are here. The Crown will always be a symbol of triumph. But win or lose, it's the lives that you that will really make a difference."
Representing Makati, Michelle was crowned Miss Universe Philippines on May 13, 2023. She went on to represent the Philippines at the international pageant in El Salvador, finishing in the top 10 and bagging an award for best in national costume.