She’s from Palawan

In their welcome introduction for the Filipina candidate, the Miss Grand International (MGI) organization described her as “an empowered woman from the Philippines’ last frontier, Palawan.”

Samantha is an alumna of Palawan State University, where she graduated with a degree in hospitality administration.

She campaigns strongly for the advocacies she believes in

Samantha is the spokesperson for the Movement Against Malaria in the Philippines, which advocates for a malaria-free Philippines by 2030. She frequently joins the group in their volunteer excursions.

She works a variety of jobs . . .

While she’s not talking about her advocacies or wowing the crowd during pageantry competitions, Samantha is a professional host and model.

During the pandemic, she found herself in a difficult position financially when the pageant was postponed and her modeling gigs dwindled. “It’s an opportunity for me to grow in this industry. If I depend on Binibini and modeling, walang mangyayari sa ‘kin!,” she said in an interview with ABS-CBN. She became a licensed financial advisor, and she even offered free online consultations on finances and investments.

. . . and runs her own business.

As an entrepreneur, she owns and runs her own clothing company called DreamQueen Apparel, which specializes in “sleepwear street style.” Her brand donates 10% of its profits to the Malaria-Free Philippines campaign for which Samantha is a spokesperson.

She used to be a competitive rhythmic gymnast . . .

She spent nine years competing as a rhythmic gymnast for her province in the national competitions. And she used this skill in the talent portions of the pageants she competed in.

. . . and a dancer!

A cultural dancer, Samantha is a former President of Sining Palawan Dance Troupe, with whom she performed Filipino folk dances. With the dance troupe, she competed around the world, performing folk dances that showcase Philippine culture and tradition. In an interview, she shared that her favorite folk dance is binasuan, in which the dancer holds full wine glasses in each hand and one on her head while performing balancing tricks.

She was 2nd runner-up in Binibining Pilipinas

Third time’s the charm, they say, and that proved to be true for Samantha Bernardo when she finally got the chance to represent the Philippines in the Miss Grand International pageant.

She placed 2nd runner-up twice in a row in Binibining Pilipinas in 2018 and 2019. Samantha was appointed after the original titleholder Aya Abesamis exceeded the age restrictions of the pageant, which was delayed due to the pandemic.

She’s already got her own signature walk

Dubbed as the #GRANDnada Walk, Samantha’s signature strut stunned netizens last night. She strutted down the catwalk with a playful gait and snappy movements, like she’s having fun while still owning the stage. At one point, she even pointed at the camera and captured viewers’ hearts with just one look.

A visible candidate from the start, Samantha was No. 1 out of the five finalists voted by social media users for Best in Swimsuit earlier in the preliminary competition. Should she win the crown, Samantha would be the first Miss Grand International from the Philippines.

What do you think of Miss Grand International PH Samantha Bernardo?