The Philippines crowned its newest beauty queen on Sunday night and media reports in the country are hinting that she may have Palestinian roots.
Miss Philippines 2019 Gazini Ganados is now eligible to compete in the Miss Universe pageant and is reported to have been born to a Filipino mother and a Palestinian father, according to local media.
Ganados was crowned during the Binibining Pilipinas 2019 ceremony, a national beauty pageant watched by thousands. There are no exact details of her ancestry, but in a recent interview, she said she grew up with her single mother and her grandparents.
Gazini is not new to beauty contests – she has competed in regional pageants and the Miss World Philippines contest in 2014.
The 23-year-old model has big shoes to fill — she succeeds Catriona Gray, who famously nabbed the Miss Universe title in 2018.