The smile on pageant veteran Michelle Arceo's face was visible as she proudly brought home one of the coveted major sponsor awards of Miss Grand Philippines 2023.
On June 26, 2023, all 30 candidates of the pioneer edition of Miss Grand Philippines took part in a runway challenge organized by Ever Bilena, one of the major sponsors of the pageant.
The event took place at the beauty brand's headquarters in Caloocan City.
At the end of the event, Herlene Nicole Budol and Michelle were the recipients of the two major awards namely Miss Ever Bilena and Miss Hello Glow, respectively.
In an exclusive interview with PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal), Michelle confessed that she got a little bit nervous while anxiously awaiting the announcement of her name.
She said, "I was definitely getting a little nervous because, obviously, I have some really beautiful girls with me in this batch.
"And of course, I'm only human so there's some doubts in my mind. Like, 'Oh, did I get it? Did I fail?'"
Above all else, she is elated to have received the coveted award she had been aiming for, and she feels immensely gratified that her diligent efforts have been acknowledged.
"I'm honestly so happy that I was able to bag this award. I really, really wanted this.
"And I'm glad the judges saw my efforts and I'm just so honored to be a part of the Hello Glow squad."
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MICHELLE ARCEO: THIRD PAGEANT
Having participated in Miss Grand Philippines as her third national pageant, Michelle openly acknowledges that she still experiences some pressure.
However, she expresses her gratitude for her unwaveringly supportive team and dedicated fans, who have been instrumental in helping her navigate this journey.
Michelle told PEP.ph, "I'm just so thankful that I have a wonderful support system. I have a great team that's really there for me through anything.
"And of course, at the end of the day, sometimes my anxieties do get to me.
"But I'm just so thankful that I have my friends and family there to help me through whatever I'm going through, that are there to talk me through my anxieties.
"And it's also such a warm feeling from the fans knowing that they're really supporting me on this journey and I've never really had it to this extent before."
Prior to joining Miss Grand Philippines, Michelle took home the crown in "Gandang Filipina" pageant of the now-defunct GMA-7 show Wowowin.
Read: Michelle Arceo excited about career prospects after bagging beauty title
She was also named Miss Environment Philippines 2021 during the Miss World Philippines pageant in October 2021.
Read: Tracy Maureen Perez is Miss World Philippines 2021; falls on her first walk
When asked about her strategy for her third national pageant, Michelle disclosed that she is making an effort to let go and not overthink things this time around.
In her words, "I think something new that I'm trying this year is trying to let go and release more of my inner self to people.
"Because I'm so guarded sometimes with my performances.
"I'm so overthinking in my head about every move, every word that I say.
"And I'm really just trying to relax right now and try to just perform.
"And I'm getting better every day. And it's really just going to take more practice so I can really achieve that golden crown hopefully."
Currently, Michelle's primary focus lies in preparing for the highly anticipated grand coronation night of the pageant, which is scheduled to take place on July 13, 2023, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
She shared insights into her preparations, and said, "I'm almost ready. I still have a few things I need to get but my finals gown is already in production.
"My natcos is being made at the moment. And everything will come together in due time. So stay tuned!"
READ:
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- Beauty queen Samantha Bernardo now engaged to non-showbiz boyfriend Scott Moore
- New Miss Grand Philippines national director Arnold Vegafria hopes to regain trust of Pinoy pageant fans