Miss Asia Pacific International

Beauty pageant in Manila, Philippines

Miss Asia Pacific International

Formation| 4 December 1965; 59 years ago (1965-12-04)
Type| Beauty pageant
Headquarters| Manila
Location|

* Philippines

Official language

| English

President

| Atty. Eva Psychee Patalinjug

General Manager

| Kristine Caballero Aplal
Website| Official website

Formerly called

* Miss Asia
* Miss Asia Pacific
* Miss Asia Pacific Quest

Miss Asia Pacific International is one of the oldest international beauty pageants, based in Manila, Philippines. It was founded in 1965 as Miss Asia and later renamed Miss Asia Pacific in 1984, followed by Miss Asia Pacific Quest in 1985 when Latin American and Pacific countries were included. In 2005, it was renamed to its current title, Miss Asia Pacific International.

The current titleholder is Janelis Leyba of the United States, who was crowned Miss Asia Pacific International 2024 on 7 October 2024 at Newport Performing Arts Theater in Pasay, Philippines.[1] She is the first American to win the title, marking the comeback of the pageant.[2]

## History

[edit]

The pageant was established in 1965 as the Miss Asia contest. The first titleholder was Angela Filmer from Malaysia.[3][4] She was crowned by incoming first lady Imelda Marcos on December 4, 1965. The initial edition of the contest included participants from 18 countries.[5]

The pageant's name was changed to Miss Asia Pacific in 1984 and Miss Asia Pacific Quest in 1985 when participants from the Americas and the Pacific region were included. In 2005, it was renamed Miss Asia Pacific International to allow participants from all countries. The pageant was not held in 1990 due to the Luzon earthquake, in 1991 due to the Mount Pinatubo eruption, in 2004, from 2006 to 2015, and from 2020 to 2023.[5]

In 2005, Leonora Jimenez Monge from Costa Rica was dethroned after participating in the Miss World contest. The title was then passed to the first runner-up, Yevgeniya Lapova from Russia.[6] The pageant was then suspended after the conclusion of the 2005 edition.[7] It resumed 12 years later in 2016, with Tessa le Conge from the Netherlands winning the title.[8]

The last titleholder before the hiatus was Chaiyenne Huisman from Spain, who was crowned on October 9, 2019.[9]

Due to restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, no competitions were held from 2020 to 2023. The pageant returned in October 2024, with Eva Patalinjug as the new President[10] and Kristine Caballero-Aplal as General Manager.[11][12][13]

## Titleholders

[edit]

Year  | Edition  | Country/Territory  | Miss Asia Pacific International | Location  | Entrants  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|
|

1965  | 1st  |  Malaysia | Angela Filmer  | Manila, Philippines | 18  |
1968 | 2nd  |  Taiwan | Macy Shih  | Quezon City, Philippines | 12  | [14]
1969  | 3rd  |  South Korea | Seo Won-kyoung  | 13  | [15]
1970  | 4th  |  India | Zeenat Aman | 15  |
1971  | 5th  |  Guam | Flora Baza  | 15  |
1972  | 6th  |  Australia | Janet Coutts  | 14  |
1973  | 7th  |  India | Tara Anne Fonseca | Manila, Philippines | 14  |
1974  | 8th  |  Australia | Susie Currie  | 16  |
1975  | 9th  |  Papua New Guinea | Eva Regina Arni  | 18  | [16]
1976  | 10th  |  Singapore | Jacqueline Stuart  | 17  | [17]
1977  | 11th  |  Indonesia | Linda Emran  | 17  | [18]
1978  | 12th  |  Thailand | Siriporn Savanglum  | 15  |
1979  | 13th  |  Turkey | Ayla Altas  | 15  |
1980  | 14th  |  Australia | Lorraine Gaye McGrady  | 16  |
1981  | 15th  |  Sri Lanka | Bernadine Rose Ramanayake | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 16  |
1982  | 16th  |  Philippines | Maria del Carmen Ines Zaragoza  | 14  |
1983  | 17th  |  Philippines | Gloria Dimayacyac  | Manila, Philippines | 14  |
1984  | 18th  |  Turkey | Melek Gurkan  | Christchurch, New Zealand | 19  |
1985  | 19th  |  Israel | Nurit Mizrachi  | Wan Chai, British Hong Kong | 31  | [19]
1986  | 20th  |  New Zealand | Helen Mary Crawford  | Hung Hom, British Hong Kong | 32  | [20]
1987  | 21st  |  Panama | Cilinia Prada  | Wanchai, British Hong Kong | 30  |
1988  | 22nd  |  Thailand | Preeyanuch Panpradub  | Hung Hom, British Hong Kong | 32  | [21]
1989  | 23rd  |  Philippines | Lorna Legaspi  | Tsim Sha Tsui, British Hong Kong | 31  | [22]
1992  | 24th  |  Israel | Tali Ben-Harush  | Manila, Philippines | 24  |
1993  | 25th  |  Philippines | Michelle Aldana  | Pasay, Philippines | 23  |
1994  | 26th  |  Peru | Jessica Guiulfo Tapia  | Cebu, Philippines | 26  |
1995  | 27th  |  South Korea | Yoon Mi-jung  | Benguet, Philippines | 27  |
1996  | 28th  |  Costa Rica | Gabriela Aguilar  | Subic, Zambales, Philippines | 27  |
1997  | 29th  |  Thailand | Worarat Suwannarat | Davao City, Philippines | 25  |
1998  | 30th  |  Costa Rica | Kisha Alvarado  | Pampanga, Philippines | 25  |
1999  | 31st  |  Colombia | Juliana Andrea Arango  | Quezon City, Philippines | 25  |
2000  | 32nd  |  India | Diya Mirza Handrich | 23  | [23]
2001  | 33rd  |  Peru | Luciana Luisa Farfán  | Makati, Philippines | 19  |
2002  | 34th  |  South Korea | Kim So-yoon  | Manila, Philippines | 25  |
2003  | 35th  |  Russia | Tatyana Nikitina  | Pasay, Philippines | 25  |
2005 | 36th  |  Costa Rica | Leonora Jiménez (Dethroned) | Guangzhou, China | 51  |
Russia | Yevgeniya Lapova (Assumed)[6] |
2016 | 37th  |  Netherlands | Tessa Helena le Conge  | Palawan, Philippines | 40  | [24]
2017 | 38th  |  Brazil | Francielly Ouriques  | Pasay, Philippines | 42  | [25]
2018 | 39th  |  Philippines | Sharifa Akeel[26] | 51  | [26]
2019 | 40th  |  Spain | Chaiyenne Huisman  | 54  | [9]
2024 | 41st  |  United States | Janelis Leyba  | 33  | [1]
Countries/Territories by number of wins Countries/Territories  | Titles  | Year(s)

|
|

Philippines | 5  | 1982, 1983, 1989, 1993, 2018
South Korea | 3  | 1969, 1995, 2002
India | 1970, 1973, 2000
Thailand | 1978, 1988, 1997
Costa Rica | 1996, 1998, 2005A
Australia | 1972, 1974, 1980
Peru | 2  | 1994, 2001
Turkey | 1979, 1984
Russia | 2003, 2005B
Israel | 1985, 1992
United States | 1  | 2024
Spain | 2019
Brazil | 2017
Netherlands | 2016
Colombia | 1999
Panama | 1987
New Zealand | 1986
Sri Lanka | 1981
Indonesia | 1977
Singapore | 1976
Papua New Guinea | 1975
Guam | 1971
Taiwan | 1968
Malaysia | 1965

## List of runner-ups

[edit]

Year  | Runner-ups

|

First  | Second  | Third  | Fourth
1965  | Ester Cheryl da Silva
Ceylon | Resurreccion Vianzon
Philippines | Not awarded
1968  | Cassandra Stiles
Australia | Atsumi Ikeno
Japan | Jane Mozo de Goya
Philippines | Valisra Trungvachirachi
Thailand
1969  | Shirley Sha
Taiwan | Sandra Jacqueline Van Geyzel
Malaysia | Julie Ann Hodge
Australia | Frances Margaret Carrick
New Zealand
1970  | Alice Tiongson Crisostomo
Philippines | Yvonne Haunani Young
Hawaii | Carolyn Dartnell
Australia | Geraldine Welford
New Zealand
1971  | Carolyn Gomara Masibay
Philippines | Hong Jung Ja
South Korea | Gayah Tehetchik
Israel | Sandra Van Loon
Australia
1972  | Yvette Marie Alfon
Philippines | Dorit Bar
Israel | Vivienne Hamilton
New Zealand | Srungya Krachangsuk
Thailand
1973  | Nehama Fass
Israel | Lely Herawati Soendoro
Indonesia | Chung Kum Ok
South Korea | Deborah Seccounbe
Australia
1974  | Ethel Lau Wai Tak
British Hong Kong | Paripola Penson
Philippines | Liza Sindoro
Indonesia | Debra Josephine De Souza
Singapore
1975  | Bernadette Paille
Tahiti | Jane Reilly
Australia | Darlene Schwenkey
Samoa | Linda Kaur
Malaysia
1976  | Maea Atger
Tahiti | Anna Adrianne Bredemeyer
India | Anna Luisa Delgado
Philippines | Michelle Ann Glass
Australia
1977  | Marianne De Souza
India | Helen Ng
Singapore | Yifat Netzer
Israel | Rio Diaz
Philippines
1978  | Epifania Lagman
Philippines | Hannah Ekerling
Israel | Julie Ann Croft
Australia | Hisako Tanaka
Japan
1979  | Maureen Mary Lestourgeon
India | Lorraine Espiridon Schuck
Philippines | Lajiah P. R. Sharma
Singapore | Tracy Christopherson
Australia
1980  | Rose Maria de Vera
Philippines | Annie Chen Chiau Chuin
Singapore | Cara Pollock
New Zealand | Mina Coldas
Turkey
1981  | Kimberly Ann Carey
Guam | Corrine Gail Carvalho
Hawaii | Kang Hae Suk
South Korea | Beatrice Hawkins
Malaysia
1982  | Rosa Maria Misa
New Zealand | Tippawan Aukkraphun
Thailand | Sharon de Jong
Sri Lanka | Mi Il Kim
South Korea
1983  | Dorit Kadosh
Israel | Nazan Satchi
Turkey | Joanna Johns
New Zealand | Siriwan Wangwilai
Thailand
1984  | Gayle Ann Jones
New Zealand | Elsie Oh Swee Ping
Singapore | Rinat Hadashi
Israel | Suzanne Hoffman
United States
1985  | Lin Ji Yeon
South Korea | Liliana Tapia Castillo
Peru | Eva Lai
British Hong Kong | Perla Pereira Fruthwirth
Guatemala
1986  | Lim Suet Kwee
Singapore | Sararat Rumruangwong
Thailand | Nina Li Chi
British Hong Kong | Nilufer Apaydin
Turkey
1987  | Ana Corina Burgos del Rio
Mexico | Toni Jean Frances Peters
Australia | Choi Eun-hee
South Korea | Niril Elyovich
Israel
1988  | Elsy Guadelupe Aceves Gurrola
Mexico | Revital Mor
Israel | Fatma Anil
Northern Cyprus | Mi Rim Kim
South Korea
1989  | Myriam Tuheiava
Tahiti | Galit Farber
Israel | Gloria Petrovic
Canada | Anne Seekaew
Thailand
1992  | Chutima Nirunsitirat
Thailand | Mutya Laxa
Philippines | Ingrid Matie Mole
New Zealand | Kissarne Watson
Australia
1993  | Namrata Shirodkar
India | Monica Reyes
Chile | Maria Teresa Aragon
Mexico | Lavianna Tan Poh Ling
Malaysia
1994  | Karla Contreras Estrada
Mexico | Ozlem Mete
Turkey | Nathalie Cohen
Israel | Vaihere Lehartel
Taiwan
1995  | Ruchitra Malhotra
India | Hsiao-Ping Chen
Taiwan | Rocio del Pilar Abed
Peru | Previtha Thiyagarajah
Malaysia
1996  | Marilyn Maristela
Philippines | Mirna Sommers
Tahiti | Mariel Ocampo
Peru | Kenia Melais
Panama
1997  | Divya Chauhan
India | Nancy Veronica Peoma Agnieray
Tahiti | Kerry Anita Lucas
Australia | Gabriela dela Luz de Heeckeren Lagos
Chile
1998  | Lourdes Lewis
Panama | Priya Nair
Fiji | Klara Lisy
Australia | Metua Heimoana
Tahiti
1999  | Anna Tatarintseva
Russia | Amy Trott
Australia | Wan Wang-Fei
Taiwan | Leanne Catherine Sorby
New Zealand
2000  | Marianela Salazar Guillen
Panama | Winter Noel Washington
Australia | Alexandra Maria Rivas
El Salvador | Kanueng-nit In-orng
Thailand
2001  | Lisette Villanueva Jiménez
Mexico | Wanvisa Kham-daeng-yai
Thailand | Karol Inés de la Torre Pinilla
Colombia | Darlene Carbungco
Philippines
2002  | Ksenia Volkova
Russia | Tina Chhatwal
India | Miriam San Jose Chui
Philippines | Aishwarya Sukhdeo
Fiji
2003  | Shonal Rawat
India | Andrea Ovares López
Costa Rica | Tracy Freundt
Peru | Samantha Wong Wye Yeng
Malaysia
2005  | Evgeniya Lapova
Russia
(Resigned) | Zhang Li Yu
China
(Resigned) | Claudia Ortiz de Zevallos
Peru
(Resigned) | Jedah Hernandez
Philippines
(Resigned)
Zhang Li Yu
China
(Assumed) | Claudia Ortiz de Zevallos
Peru
(Assumed) | Jedah Hernandez
Philippines
(Assumed) | Not awarded
2016  | Shawanya Tanhomwong
Thailand | Ganiel Akrisha Atun Krishnan
Philippines | Felicia George
Cook Islands | Kim So-yeon
South Korea
2017  | Acacia Walker
New Zealand | Valeria Cardona
Honduras | Morgan Doelwijt
Netherlands | Ilene De Vera
Philippines
2018  | Gabriela Palma
Brazil | Melania Gonzales
Costa Rica
(Dethroned) | Misheelt Narmandakh
Mongolia
(Resigned) | Mariani Nataly Chacón
Venezuela
(Resigned)
Misheelt Narmandakh
Mongolia
(Assumed) | Mariani Nataly Chacón
Venezuela
(Assumed) | Raquel Van Gool
Netherlands
(Assumed)
2019  | Eoanna Constanza
Dominican Republic | Jessica Victoria Cianchino
Canada | Carolina Schuler
Brazil | Fiorella Cortez Arbenz
Costa Rica
2024  | Karen Sofia Nuñez
Mexico | Selena Ali
Belgium | Blessa Ericha Figueroa
Philippines | Jennifer Prokop
Germany

## Continental Queens

[edit]

Edition | Africa | Americas | Asia | Europe | Oceania

|
|
|
|
|

2019 | Michele-Ange Minkata
Cameroon | Jessica Cianchino
Canada | Klyza Castro
Philippines | Lauralyn Vermeersch
Belgium | Chelsea Martin
New Zealand
2024 | Chizuruoke Sufficient Arua
Nigeria | Gabriela De Paiva Padilla
Bolivia | Sophiya Singh
India | Selena Ali
Belgium | Keshia Lee Llarenas
Guam

## See also

[edit]

* List of beauty pageants

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Adina, Armin P. (7 October 2024). "Miss Asia Pacific International 2024 is Janelis Leyba of United States". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
2. ^ Concepcion, Eton B. (7 October 2024). "Miss Asia Pacific International 2024 makes a comeback in Manila". Manila Standard. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
3. ^ "I hop it 's a girl, says former Miss Asia Angela..." eresources.nlb.gov.sg. 5 January 1967. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
4. ^ "Kejuaraan basikal sa-Asia". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. 19 November 1965. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
5. ^ a b "The evolution of the Miss Asia Pacific International pageant". MSN. 7 October 2024. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
6. ^ a b "Yevgeniya Lapova: the last winner of Miss Asia Pacific International". The Times of India. 11 July 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
7. ^ "Laura blazes China beauty trail". BBC News. 13 February 2005. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
8. ^ "Netherlands wins Miss Asia Pacific Int'l 2016; PH finishes 3rd". Manila Bulletin. 23 November 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
9. ^ a b "Miss Spain Chaiyenne Huisman wins Miss Asia Pacific International 2019". ABS-CBN News. 10 October 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
10. ^ Adina, Armin P. (29 February 2024). "Eva Patalinjug to deliver Miss Asia Pacific International that 'people deserve'". INQUIRER.net Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
11. ^ "Miss Asia Pacific International suspends 2020 pageant". Inquirer Lifestyle. 1 June 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
12. ^ "Two beauty queens take over the helm of Miss Asia Pacific International pageant". Inquirer Lifestyle. 24 February 2024. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
13. ^ "Miss Asia Pacific International returns under new leadership". ABS-CBN News. 19 February 2024.
14. ^ "Macy is Miss Asia". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. 10 December 1968. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
15. ^ "BACK TO BOOKS' DECIDE TWO BRAINY BEAUTIES". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. 25 August 1969. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
16. ^ "Eva Miss Asia". Papua New Guinea Post-Courier. 26 May 1975. p. 1. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
17. ^ "SENYUMAN LEBAR SEORANG RATU ASIA". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. 5 June 1976. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
18. ^ "Linda dari Indonesia dipilih 'Ratu Asia'". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. 14 June 1977. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
19. ^ "亞太小姐名花有主 以色列登后座 韓國小姐亞軍 秘魯小姐季軍香港奪得第四 以色列及韓國同奪泳裝晚裝". Wah Kiu Yat Po (in Traditional Chinese). 27 October 1985. p. 1.1. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
20. ^ "亞太小姐決賽 紐西蘭小姐奪桂冠 新加坡泰國小姐亞季 利智得三獎項". Wah Kiu Yat Po (in Traditional Chinese). 1 October 1986. p. 1.1. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
21. ^ "88亞太小姐總決賽". Wah Kiu Yat Po (in Traditional Chinese). 25 October 1988. p. 13. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
22. ^ "翁虹未入前五名內 菲律賓小姐 奪亞太后冠 大溪地小姐得亞軍 以色列小姐得季軍". Wah Kiu Yat Po (in Traditional Chinese). 25 September 1989. p. 25. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
23. ^ "Dia Mirza reflects on Miss Asia-Pacific win when she refused to wear a two-piece swimsuit". The Times of India. 30 November 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
24. ^ "Netherlands wins Miss Asia Pacific Int'l 2016; PH finishes 3rd | ABS-CBN News". ABS-CBN News. 23 November 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
25. ^ "Brazil wins Miss Asia Pacific International 2017; Ilene de Vera is fourth runner-up". INQUIRER.net. 30 November 2017. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
26. ^ a b "Philippines' Sharifa Akeel crowned Miss Asia Pacific International 2018". ABS-CBN News. 4 October 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2021.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website