WITH her unwavering confidence, perseverance, and determination, Nicole Borromeo brought honor to the Philippines after her Miss International 2023 3rd Runner-Up win. Upon her return, she not only carries accolades but also a wealth of experience.

In an exclusive interview with The Manila Times’ Celebrity, Style, Inspiration (CSI), Borromeo expressed her joy at being back home.

“Getting to wear the Philippines across my chest was an honor. It’s so different hearing your province versus the entire country on the international stage. I remember being in Japan, people would call me Miss Philippines and I would look back ‘oh it’s me, they’re calling me.’ I’m not just standing there on my own but the entire country behind me. So I felt so proud, it’s proud achievement,” Borromeo enthused.

According to the 22-year-old Cebuana queen, joining the pageant gained her a positive perspective.

She shared, “When you’re there, you could think negatively and compare, but I see it differently. I admire their beauty and think, ‘If I’m among them, I’m beautiful too.’ Each had amazing backgrounds, from lawyers to astronauts. It was a culturally immersive, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Reflecting on her achievement as the 3rd Runner-Up, Borromeo highlighted the significance of making it to the top among 70 promising contestants. She also humorously mentioned being the only Asian contestant in the Top 5 which included the titleholder Andrea Rubio from Venezuela, 1st runner-up Sofía Osío from Colombia, 2nd runner-up Camila Díaz from Peru and 4th runner-up Vanessa Hayes from Bolivia.

“I think it’s four years since we last placed in the Top 5 and it feels so good to bring it back,” she said.

“People also noticed I was the only Asian. It became more apparent because they all spoke Spanish. I joked, ‘Teach me,’ and they said, ‘We’ll adopt you,’” Borromeo chuckled.

During the contest, Borromeo received acclaim for confidently delivering a specific and solid response to a challenging question about her contributions to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

When asked about the nervewracking part of the competition, Borromeo recalled, “They said that when you’re in Miss International and you get a question like that, you’ll be so blessed. Because it gives girls the opportunity to talk about what they stand for. What’s beautiful with Miss International is they allow the girls to create the news to highlight what they do,” Borromeo explained.

“If people will look at the Miss International YouTube channel, they will see my SDG video and all the other girls as well. In that Q&A, I get to talk about it, I believe in the power of people getting together, of collective efforts to help people have better lives. I said in my answer that I faced natural disasters, particularly Typhoon Odette back in 2021. It’s a very hard time because we were also still recovering from the pandemic. It left a mark on me,” she continued.

“If you were to do things on your own and you have to build your own house on your own after disasters, it costs way too much. That’s why I wanted to highlight Habitat for Humanity and their work because they have been doing it for decades,” Borromeo added.

While she is satisfied with her overall performance, she hope she could’ve improved some aspects of her performance.

“When you’re a Runner-Up you always wish you could’ve done more. With my walk I wish I had taken a little bit more. In my Q&A I wish could’ve said a little bit more. Maybe include the Miss International Organization and our future plans. I would say that I was in the moment, but I think there’s always room for improvement,” she said.

Looking ahead, Borromeo expressed her desire to break from pageantry and focus on personal growth.

“With an achievement like this, being the 3rd Runner-Up in Miss International and dedicating as much time as I did – over a year’s worth of preparation – I think I want to spend the next few months focusing on myself, with my growth, before I decide doing anymore pageantry.”

Borromeo also expressed her aspirations to complete her Interior Design studies while aiming to dedicate more time to developing programs with Habitat for Humanity.

“These kids don’t see the value yet, so we have to work on that and find a way to put it in curriculum,” she explained.

“It will be a shame to have a platform if you don’t use it. You have the social cause, you have the platform and you’re just going to let it sit there? It will be a shame if I don’t continue it. Hopefully we’ll be able to get more funds,” she added.

Finally, when asked about fellow beauty queen Michelle Dee’s prospects of winning the Miss Universe crown this weekend, Borromeo expressed confidence in the country’s representative, citing high chances of clinching the title. She praised Dee’s energy and described her as a formidable ‘girl boss.’

“The competition this year is crazy but I can see already in the posts how much of a standout she is. So to Michelle, you’re making the country proud. Just keep doing what you’re doing, we will have the homecoming ready for you,” she ended.