It was a triumphant return for Michelle Dee.
Michelle, who represented the Philippines at Miss Universe 2023, was back in the country after being away for a month to compete in the prestigious pageant.
Read: Miss Nicaragua crowned Miss Universe 2023; Michelle Dee reaches Top 10
The beauty queen landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 from Los Angeles, U.S.A., on Saturday evening, November 25, 2023.
Michelle happily shared photos and videos of the chaotic scenes inside and outside the airport where a crowd was waiting to see the actress-beauty queen.
One video shows a vehicle where Michelle was being mobbed by excited fans holding the Philippine flag.
Her mom, Miss International 1979 titleholder Melanie Marquez, was also present to welcome and congratulate Michelle.
"Feels good to be back home [Philippines] with or without the crown, all of you made me feel like I was a winner," wrote Michelle on Instagram.
Michelle made it to the semifinals but failed to land a spot in the Top 5.
Still, many admired Michelle for putting up a good fight from day one, enough for her to be among the favorites to take home the crown.
While she failed to win the crown, Michelle took home several special prizes including Fan Vote, Spirit of Carnival Award, and National Costume.
GEARING UP FOR THE PARADE
Reflecting on the moment, Michelle said the love she felt upon arriving "was so overwhelming."
Michelle stated, "All I could feel was so much love and support from all of you."
She continued, "It was definitely not an easy road to get to this point but everything was well worth it!"
A parade, as mentioned by Michelle in her post, is also set to take place, giving more people an opportunity to see her in person.
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The heartwarming show of support for Michelle was also evident in the comments section of her recent Instagram post.
"I am not a Filipino but Michelle Dee is amazing! Ang ganda nya," wrote a follower.
Another netizen wrote, "Parang ngayon lang ako nakakita ng beauty queen na sinusugod ng nga fans sa airport."
One follower of Michelle enthused, "Goosebumps. This just proves she doesn't need the MU title to be treated like a queen [crown emoji] she so DEEserves the love from everyone. MU23's TOTGA indeed."