We have no doubt Pasay City is currently roaring with pride after Celeste Cortesi officially brought home the Miss Universe Philippines 2022 crown. The 24-year-old Filipina-Italian is not new to pageantry, having represented the country back in Miss Earth 2018.
After impressive showings throughout this year's online challenges, and on the evening of the competition itself, we're certain we have a strong bet for the global stage! Before she gets there though, it's worth picking up some fun facts about her.
Also read: Twitter Takes the Crown: Best Tweets From Miss Universe Philippines 2022
Here are 10 things you need to know about Miss Universe Philippines 2022 Celeste Cortesi:
She's a Sagittarius
Celeste was born on December 15, 1997 in Rome, Italy to a Filipina mother and an Italian father.
She moved here on her own to join Miss Earth Philippines
The beauty queen went home to the country in 2018 just to compete in Miss Earth Philippines. It was the first time the Filipino community in Rome had a representative in the competition. She placed in the Top 8 during the international pageant of that year.
She's very close to her mom
It was actually Celeste's mother that pushed her to join Miss Earth. During the final Q&A portion of MUPH, she expressed how much she misses her, and how she yearns to visit her in Italy soon.
She knows a thing or two about rocking a swimsuit
If you're in need of new swimsuit OOTD pegs, have a quick scroll through the Fil-Italian's Instagram! In case you didn't know, she won the swimsuit competition during Miss Earth 2018, and she repeated the feat tonight at Miss Universe Philippines.
She's got a cool colelction tattoos
Thanks to her love of wearing skin-flaunting swimmies, we're constantly treated to sightings of her cool tatts. They can be found on her right arm, on her right thigh, and even on the center of her chest. Fingers crossed she shares the origin stories sometime.
She's a fashion model
It comes as no surprise that Celeste is quite skilled on the catwalk. In Italy and here in the Philippines, she's modelled for a couple of designers' fashion shows, two of which were local couturiers Chris Nick and Val Taguba.
She's an animal-lover
Aside from her family and beau, Celeste loves taking care of her pets. She has a home in Siargao where a couple of her furry friends currently stay at. Take a look at the cuteness.
Her photoshoot for the Top 32 announcement proves she's out-of-the-box
We still can't get over the beauty queen's color-packed photoshoot for the pageant's Top 32 announcement. She wore a metallic orange corset from Bonita Penaranda, tastefully teamed with a pair of magenta trousers. We're confident this is only the first out of many statement-making moments Celeste will have.
She has also won a number of special awards in the pageantry world
Aside from the title and the Best in Swimsuit recognition, Celeste also brought home the Miss Photogenic, Frontrow Best Arrival Look, Miss Avana, and Miss Aqua Boracay awards. Oh, and the La Mer en Majeste crown worth almost P6M, too, of course.
Yep, you can find her on Instagram
We're certain there's a whole lot more to learn about the 24-year-old queen. To stay updated on her journey towards the Miss Universe crown (and beyond), give her a follow on Instagram.
Congratulations again, Celeste!