Representing the Philippines, Cynthia Magpatoc Thomalla, 23, was crowned Miss Eco International 2018 on April 28, 2018 in Cairo, Egypt. This made her the first Asian winner of the international beauty pageant with humanitarian, social and environmental causes.

Miss Eco International made its debut in 2015 with Patricia Peklar of Slovenia as the first winner. She was crowned in Alexandria, Egypt.

Peklar passed the crown to Miss Eco International 2016 to Natalia Carvajal in Cairo. Carvajal passed the crown in 2017 to Amber Bernachi of Canada in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

During the question-and-answer portion of Miss Eco International 2018, Thomalla was asked about the most important thing beauty pageants add to people and the world. She answered, “I think that the most relevant thing that beauty queens can add to the world is by raising awareness of their own causes.”

“For example, Miss Eco International is raising the advocacy in sustainable tourism and protecting the environment,” Thomalla continued. “That is the main point of doing beauty pageants, by raising our voices to help the earth.”

Runner-up to Thomalla as Miss Eco International 2017 was Miss Indonesia Astira Intan Vernadeina. Miss Peru Kelin Rivera Kroll, Miss Vietnam Nguyễn Thư Dung and Miss Costa Rica Glennys Medina Segura were the respective second, third and fourth runners-up.

Thomalla was born in Hamburg, Germany, her German father’s hometown. The newly crowned Miss Eco International was 9 years old when her family moved to her Filipino mother’s hometown, which is Macrohon, Southern Leyte.

Under the leadership of Arnold Vegafria, Miss World Philippines 2017 has produced three queens. Before Thomalla’s coronation as Miss Eco International 2018 in Cairo, Egypt, Teresita Ssen Marquez crowned as Reina Hispanoamericana 2017 in  Santa Cruz, Bolivia and Sophia Senoron was crowned Miss Multinational 2018 in New Delhi, India.

Before joining Miss World Philippines 2017, Thomalla graduated from the University of Cebu with a degree in Tourism. In 2016, she represented Cebu’s Sinulog Festival in the local beauty pageant Reyna ng Aliwan (Queen of Festivities) and won the title.

Here is a short question-and-answer portion session with Thomalla during the send-off party for Miss World Philippines 2017 Laura Lehmann and Marquez in 2017: