MANILA -- Even before she was crowned as this year's as Miss International, Philippine bet Kylie Verzosa already looked like a winner after she wowed the judges and the audience with her speech.

The top 15 finalists were each given a minute to give a speech and Verzosa discussed culture and international understanding.

"Three things come to mind when I think of Miss International: culture, education, and international understanding. These three work together to make the brand of Miss International beauty pageant relevant to the global community and to our time," she said.

"If I become Miss International 2016, I will devote myself to cultural understanding and international understanding because I believe that it is in developing in each of us sensitivity to other cultures that we expand our horizons, tolerate difference and appreciate diversity. All these enables us to achieve international understanding and I believe I am prepared to take on this responsibility."