From Gulay Vendor to Miss Universe Hopeful: Meet Miss Iloilo 2024

(SPOT.ph) A new queen has risen in the province of Iloilo. On January 13, 22-year-old Filipino-American Alexie Mae Brooks was crowned Miss Iloilo 2024 at the West Visayas State University Cultural Center. With her stunning beauty and an inspiring backstory, she has captured the public's imagination and made headlines left and right.

Brooks' background is far from the glitz and glamor she basked in during her coronation. Before the competition, her days were spent not in preparation for the catwalk but in helping her grandmother sell vegetables in the local market.

“Grateful beyond words for the support of my incredible team, mentors, sponsors, and the unwavering love from friends, family, and the people of Leon, Iloilo. As the first black, androgynous Ilonggo woman to represent Iloilo, I turn childhood dreams into reality,” Brooks wrote on Instagram.

The Miss Iloilo pageant marked Brooks' first foray into the world of pageantry. Did we mention she also bagged the Best in Swimsuit, Best in Designers’ Fashion Show, and Best in Cultural Costume titles?

Also read: OPINION: Miss Universe Wanted a 'Transformational Woman.' So Why Didn't It Want Michelle Dee?

Who is Alexie Brooks, the newly crowned Miss Iloilo?

Brooks was born in 2001 to an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) and was brought up in the care of her grandmother Lola Basing.

In her hometown of Leon, Iloilo, Brooks is known for her athletic achievements. She's a member of the National University athletics team and she's a Southeast Asian Games heptathlon veteran. Her academic achievements are no less impressive: She earned scholarships at the University of Southern California and the University of Texas after graduating from Iloilo National High School.

But what Brooks really wanted, even as a child, was to become a beauty queen.

For so long, that dream felt so far-removed from her reality. Brooks told ABS-CBN News that she was constantly bullied for her looks growing up: "My life isn't easy back in Leon. I often get bullied for being black. At times, I didn’t have lunch going to school. I remember that we don’t have money to buy rice.”

Every Friday after school, Brooks would join her grandmother at the marketplace to help sell vegetables. This routine was something Lola Basing was willing to let go if it meant her apo could pursue her larger dreams. 

"My grandma is my life, she's the drive,' said Brooks. "Without her, I don't think I would be the same Alexie that I am right now. Without her, I don't think I have this dream... Everything I do right now and everything I have done is for her."

Brooks will be the representative of Iloilo City at the Miss Universe Philippines 2024.

Also read: “Our Mistake!”: Miss Universe Apologizes for Including Michelle Dee in Top 5 Post