The Philippines inherited the practice and promotion of beauty pageants from the Kingdom of Spain and United States which colonized the country and reflected their keen interest in pageantry through the Santero culture.

 

 

The Santacruzan festival

 

The first officially recorded beauty pageant competition in the Philippines was held in 1908 during the Manila Carnival, which organized both American and Philippine diplomatic relations, with the aim to exhibit achievements in commerce and agriculture. The winner of the competition was crowned, and came to be known, as the “Carnival Queen.”

One of the Carnival Queen

 

Filipinos can easily name their beauty queens as well as Brazilians remember their football legends. Across the island nation, both formal and informal furnaces contribute to making the Philippines a beauty superpower in the world.

 

Gloria Diaz – the first Philippines won Miss Universe 's crown

 

Manila's beauty boot camps effectively create a production line of contenders for the Miss Universe crown. Their students come up from the country's circuit of local beauty competitions and then hone their skills in a bid to reach the next level. To some, beauty pageants are more than just entertainment. It is a symbol of a woman's hopes and dreams.

 

The beauty boot camp

 

 

For years, the Philippines has proved to the world why it is known as a beauty pageant powerhouse. In terms of being the country with the most crowned beauty queens, the Philippines finished second on the list, a German market and consumer data company reported.

 

Miss Universal 2015 – Pia Wurtzbach

 

Since 1952, four Filipinas have successfully won the crown and title of Miss Universe. In 1969, Gloria Diaz made history after being the first Filipina to bring home the Miss Universe crown. Pia Wurtzbach meanwhile broke the 42-year drought when she was crowned Miss Universe 2015 after a dramatic mix-up.
Three years later, Catriona Gray won the most coveted title. Gray wowed the pageant spectators with her strong stage presence.

 

 

According to Inquirer.net, Wikipedia