Binibining Pilipinas 2017 queens reunite at send-off, homecoming party

Filipina beauty queens have fired up this year's pageant season with winning streaks and the next batch of Binibining Pilipinas queens are all set to represent the country.

Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc. on Monday roused a send-off party for reigning queens Rachel Peters, Chanel Olive Thomas and Katarina Rodriguez at Novotel in Quezon City.

It was also a homecoming celebration for pilot beauty queen Nelda Ibe, finished 1st runner-up in the Miss Globe pageant in Albania and Elizabeth Clenci, who placed 2nd runner-up in the Miss Grand International in Vietnam.

Peters will represent the Philippines in the Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas on November 26.

Meanwhile, Thomas will fly to Poland for the Miss Supranational pageant on December 1 in Krynica Zdroj, Poland.

Rodriguez will be the last to leave the country. She will be jetting off to Sri Lanka to represent the country for the Miss Intercontinental pageant which will be held on December 21.

During the send-off and homecoming event, Clenci became emotional as she sent her well-wishes to Peters, who was also moved to tears.

"Rachel, it's been the most incredible journey having you by my side. I'm so proud of you. You're gonna be such an incredible queen and I'm just so excited, I'll be watching Miss Universe for you screaming because I know you're gonna be amazing, you already make us all so proud, we're all so proud of you and you've grown so much," Clenci told Peters teary-eyed.

Peters also sent her congratulations to queens Ibe and Clenci, who finished strong in the international pageants.

"I wanna congratulate Liz and Nelda. I follow every step of the way for both of your pageants and I'm so proud that you are my friends and you are my sisters. No matter what you feel just remember how proud we all are for the both of you," Peters said.

Rodriguez, meanwhile, reminisced back when she and Thomas met as models before entering the pageant world. She narrated how much growth she has seen with her pageant sister.

"I've known Chanel since she was really a model. She was very modelesque, no trace of beauty queen or whatsoever and honestly, it's been something to watch you transform from model to being a Binibining Pilipinas titleholder," Rodriguez told Thomas.

She also mentioned how Thomas has always been the life of the party and wherever she goes, she has the power to lighten up the mood.

"Knowing you from before it's really something, you're gonna brighten everybody's days and the long nights that you're gonna have in Supra, I'm so excited, I'm really really excited, I know you'll do really well," Rodriguez added.

Thomas returned a sweet dedication to Rodriguez, whom she has known since 2014, back when she just moved in the Philippines. She narrated how they clicked despite the fact that they came from two different worlds.

"Kat started down in modelling, she was handling school and modelling and she is one of the most hard-working people, very hard-working and she takes care of herself and she's very ambitious, like we always have this connection, you're so queenly and you're ready and I'm so rooting for you 100%," Thomas told Rodriguez.

Thomas had nothing but praises for Peters and said she believes that she possesses all the qualities of a Miss Universe and she had no doubts that she will bring back the crown.

"For Miss Universe, I know you're gonna do amazing. You have everything going for you, you have the brains, the looks, whatever, you have everything combined and remember when we actually own a crown, we've  kind of like had this unified decision together like we all really got the right crown, like Rachel you are the perfect Miss Universe," Thomas told Peters.

Peters, for her part, recalled a very special moment between her and Thomas. She shared how Thomas helped her see the light back when she was not feeling her best.

"I'll never forget that time when I wasn't feeling so good, when I was feeling a bit down and Chanel is always that one person in the room that can turn a frown upside down, but she has also helped me by bringing me closer to God, there was a time when she said to me, "you know what Rach, you need to take time and talk to God everyday that would help you a lot in your journey" and that meant a lot to me, so thank you."

Another Filipina beauty queen, Mariel de Leon, has left for Japan for the Miss International pageant. She is hoping for a back-to-back win for the Philippines.

Over the weekend, Winwyn Marquez won the Reina Hispanoamericana 2017 crown in Bolivia while Karen Ibasco took the Miss Earth title. —ALG, GMA News