Margie Moran biography: 13 things about Miss Universe 1973

Professionally known as Margie Moran, Maria Margarita Roxas Moran Floirendo is a Filipino peace advocate, author and beauty queen. She is the second Miss Universe from the Philippines.

Floirendo is married to Antonio R. Floirendo Jr. They have two daughters together.

Born in Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines, Margie is Francis Gonzalez Morán and Rosario “Charo” McIlvain Roxas‘s daughter. Francis’s father Manuel Vicente Moran y Palisoc was the chief justice of the Philippines from July 9, 1945 to March 20, 1951 while Roxas’s father Manuel Acuña Roxas served as the country’s fifth president from May 28, 1946 to April 15, 1948.

Aside from Filipino and English, Margie is also fluent in Spanish. Her great-grandparents migrated from Spain to Pangasinan, Philippines.

Before becoming a beauty queen, Margie was a part-time model for fashion designer Auggie Cordero. She attended St. Theresa’s College of Quezon City and Maryknoll College, which are both in Quezon City, and earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and her master’s degree from the University of London in London, England, United Kingdom.

Margie is 5’6″ tall. Here are 13 more things about her:

1. In 1963, she visited Pangasinan.
2. In March 1973, she competed against 17 other Binibining Pilipinas 1973 candidates at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Metro Manila and won the top title Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 1973.
3. On July 21, 1973, she represented the Philippines at Miss Universe 1973 and competed against 60 other candidates at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens, Greece. She won the title and the Miss Photogenic award.
4. On May 4, 1974, she went back to the Araneta Coliseum to crown her successor Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 1974 Guadalupe Cuerva Sanchez.
5. On July 21, 1974, she crowned her successor Miss Universe 1974 Amparo Muñoz at the Folk Arts Theater in Pasay City, Metro Manila. After her Miss Universe reign, she married Antonio.
6. In 1986, she gave birth to Monica Danielle Floirendo.
7. From 1989 to 1994, she developed and managed the Pearl Farm Beach Resort in Samal Island, Davao del Norte. From 1990 to 1997, she hosted the ABS-CBN show “Margie on Mindanao”.
8. In December 1991, she gave birth to Gabrielle Antoinette Floirendo.
9. She co-produced the film “Bagong Buwan”, which was released on December 25, 2001. She and Eliseo Mercado co-wrote the book “Mindanao on Mend”, which was published in 2003.
10. From 2009 to 2018, she was the president of Ballet Philippines.
11. She played the mother of Piolo Pascual‘s character in the film “Last Night”, which was released on September 27, 2017.
12. On January 5, 2018, she assumed office as the chairperson of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
13. On September 15, 2023, she turned 70.