Since the inaugural edition of Miss Universe Philippines in 2020, Cebu has been sending representatives that are of high caliber within the pageant industry. The first edition saw the likes of Tracy Maureen Perez, Apriel Smith, and Lou Dominique Piczon compete and would later place as semifinalists.
Tracy went on to become Miss World Philippines and finished in the Top 12 of the Miss World competition in Puerto Rico.
In 2021, two women, Steffi Aberasturi and Beatrice Luigi Gomez competed. Steffi emerged as 2nd runner-up while Bea won the title. Bea would later place in the Top 5 of the Miss Universe competition in Eilat, Israel.
Now in this year’s edition, there’s not one, not two, but four Cebuanas competing for the title. Will another Cebuana dominate the competition? We will soon find out.
Let’s get to know the four ladies from Cebu.
All photos by Jamin Lim
Chantal Elise Schmidt, Cebu City
The face, the height, and the personality. Chantal may be only 20-years-old but she’s already showing much prowess as a model. Backed by Origin Models Management, the same agency behind Bea and Tracy, Chantal definitely has the machinery to boost her popularity in the competition.
But it’s not just about the looks when it comes to Chantal. The Filipino-German is an aspiring lawyer, teaches German, and also bakes in her spare time. Check out her interview with the Qrown Philippines where she talked about issues close to her heart.
Chantal knows there are a lot of expectations for her after Bea’s win last year. But clearly, she’s enjoying the ride and taking all the experience in and just being her jolly self, which is essential in a competition like Miss Universe Philippines.
Chantal’s challenge is not to get overwhelmed by the Cebu City sash around her. But make no mistake, we all believe that she can withstand the pressure because if she’s going to be a lawyer, this is already good training for her.
Lou Dominique Piczon, Cebu Province
Of all the fab Cebuana 4, Lou has the most experience in pageantry. She was a Binibining Cebu queen and competed in the 2020 edition of the pageant.
After representing Mandaue, Lou is now representing the whole province just like Steffi last year. Lou, who is also an advocate for mental health knows that she’s expected to do better this time or surpass her 2020 performance. She had a year to prepare herself and we are looking forward to what she has in store for all pageant fans.
Will Lou surpass Steffi’s performance as Miss Cebu Province? We will see it in the next few days if luck and momentum are on her side.
Isabelle Luche, Mandaue City
We featured Isabelle Luche in our ladies who can pull a surprise and this can happen. After all, she is under Star Magic and is social media savvy. But in pageantry, social media is just one component. We would love to see her in more interviews given a chance.
Bubbly and pretty, Isabelle is clearly a girl to watch out for. Her challenge now is to go beyond her social media persona and show more of who she is to the media. We want to get to know her more and we hope to see that in the next few days.
Sashi Chiesa, Lapu-Lapu City
Sashi represents Lapu-Lapu City and there is so much to expect from this aspiring filmmaker. She wants to tell stories and had the opportunity to work as an assistant director on a movie set.
Sashi has also modeled in LA, Manila, London, and New York and appeared in an international ad. During the informal press conference, she was asked about her thoughts on the pressure among the ladies of Cebu after Bea’s win. She said that they are not thinking about it and just want to enjoy the competition because they are honored to be representing Cebu.
She also got the opportunity to talk about herself during a Qrown Philippines interview where correspondent Christian Baking asked a barrage of questions.
Sashi knows she has a lot to improve on but she’s taking things in stride. She’s actually approachable and we look forward to seeing more of her in the next few days as the competition intensifies. Like her Cebuana sisters, she has to put some effort to show that in a pageant, you really do need a Cebuana.
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