The Philippines' Beatrice Luigi Gomez cracked the Miss Universe Top 16 during Monday's finals, extending the country's semifinals streak to 12 editions.
Gomez is the first openly bisexual Philippine representative at Miss Universe, the 70th or 2021 edition of which was hosted in Eilat, Israel.
Venus Raj was the Philippines drought-breaker in 2010, signaling a renaissance that yielded two Miss Universe queens -- Pia Wurtzbach in 2015 and Catriona Gray in 2018. The country also had one first-runner up finish, two third-runner up placements, and one fourth-runner up finish.
Gomez wowed Filipino and international fans when she came out during Saturday's National Costume Show dressed as a moon-eating dragon, far from the variations of the terno and Maria Clara-inspired costumes that her predecessors wore.
She also proudly showed her arm tattoo during the evening gown round, where she wore a sparkly red asymmetrical dress with a thigh-high slit by Francis Libiran.
The 26-year-old Gomez from Cebu City is the first openly bisexual Miss Philippines to compete at Miss Universe. Mexico's Andrea Meza will crown her successor at the end of the event.
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