Meet 25-year-old Kimberly Escartin from Liloan, Southern Leyte who will compete in Miss Universe Philippines 2023.
She was announced as one of the 40 candidates who will vie for the crown. This was revealed on February 18 by the Miss Universe Philippines (MUPh) organization. The contestants were picked after months of application submissions, both online and on-site.
Daughter of an overseas Filipino worker (OFW), she was raised by her grandparents. At the age of 13, she moved to the United Kingdom to study. She graduated from a university in London with a degree in Tourism Management. She lived there for 12 years before coming back to the Philippines with the goal of being part of Miss Universe Philippines 2023, and to learn more about the culture of her home country. She has previously competed and won in pageants such as Miss Liloan Tourism 2015 and Miss Philippines UK 2016.
Kimberly advocates for the prevention of teenage pregnancy, a very serious issue among the Filipino youth, with the Philippines having one of the highest rates among the ASEAN member countries.
“My goal is to spread awareness on my advocacy. I want to empower young women to take care and protect themselves, so they can have the opportunity to live a full life and to be able to make choices for themselves,” the MUPh aspirant said.
Miss Universe has expanded eligibility for entering the contest. For the first time in 70 years, mothers and married women can now join the pageant.
(Junson Sembrano)
