(UPDATE) Celeste Cortesi's months of pasarela training bore fruit as she slayed the swimsuit round of the Miss Universe preliminary competition in New Orleans, Louisiana on Wednesday (Thursday in the Philippines).

The Philippine representative wore a pink bikini and a white cape decorated with colorful handprints as she strutted on stage for the all-female judging panel.

According to the Miss Universe Philippines Organization, the design of the cape was made with the beneficiaries of Save the Children Philippines.

"In amplifying the voices of the children who need our help, I wanted to bring them with me on the Miss Universe stage. The imprints all over the cape remind me that having a title means to have a purpose beyond myself," she said, as quoted by the organization.

"Having talked to some of the mothers of the children beneficiaries, I was reminded of my own mother who struggled to provide for my sister and [me]. Unfortunately, there are millions of children who live in poverty, amidst crisis," she added.

"I hope that it inspires people to donate to Save the Children Philippines. There’s much work to be done and every single person’s help matters."

The swimsuit round is considered one of Cortesi's strengths. Apart from the Miss Universe Philippines 2022 title, she also won the Best in Swimsuit special award during her national pageant stint.

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In previous interviews, Cortesi said she has been training hard to win the Philippines' fifth Miss Universe crown.

The 71st Miss Universe competition, set on January 14 (January 15 in the Philippines), is her second international pageant. The Filipino-Italian represented the country in Miss Earth 2018, where she finished in the Top 8.

Cortesi has big shoes to fill as her predecessor, Beatrice Gomez, placed in the Top 5 of the 70th Miss Universe in Israel in 2021.

The Philippines has also consistently placed in the semifinals since 2010 via Venus Raj, highlighted by title wins of Pia Wurtzbach (2015) and Catriona Gray (2018).

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