MISS Philippines Joanna Camelle Mercado was crowned as Miss United Continents 2022 in glittering rites held in the City of Portoviejo, Ecuador Saturday night (Sunday morning, August 7 PH time).
Mercado, 26, a BS in Secondary Education graduate and hospitality ambassador from Floridablanca, Pampanga, bested the field of 25 delegates from five continents to win the coveted title, succeeding Colombia’s Anairis Cadavid, who won in 2019. The pageant was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic.
Aside from the top title, Camelle also took first runner-up honors for her national costume created by Francis Lee with a headdress by Naphiel Brandon.
Mercado became the second Filipina and Asian to win in the Latin-dominated beauty search, following in the footsteps of Bulaceña Jeslyn Santos, who won in 2016 and now the national director for the pageant in the Philippines.
Wearing a fully-beaded golden yellow gown by Benj Leguiab, Mercado elicited applause and cheers from the predominantly local audience at the open amphitheater at Parque Las Vegas where the finals was held.
Camelle impressed the judges with her insight about the COVID-19 pandemic, which she delivered alternately in Spanish and English: “Nosotros no solo yo (We are not alone). We must come together despite our differences through love and cultural awareness. Through unity, we have surpassed the nightmare of this pandemic. And it is evident that we can triumph any trials that may come including war. Just like Portoviejo, una ejemplo de resiliencia (an example of resilience). El verdadero poder es la union (The true power is unity). Solo tenemos una raza, es la raza humana (We only have one race, that is the human race)…”
