Nicole Cordoves is 1st runner-up at Miss Grand International 2016

Nicole Cordoves came close to bringing the Miss Grand International crown to the Philippines for the first time, taking the first runner-up spot instead.

This is the highest ranking that a Filipina beauty queen has achieved at the Miss Grand International pageant. Annalie Forbes placed third runner up in 2013, while Parul Shah was second runner up in 2015.

Cordoves lost the title to Ariska Putri Pertiwi of Indonesia. Cordoves bested the representatives of USA (4th runner up), Puerto Rico (3rd runner up), and Thailand (2nd runner up).

She impressed the crowd with her prepared speech prior to the Evening Gown competition. Each candidate who made it to the top 10 was tasked to speak their minds about war and violence in the world.

"These kids, they do not need us to win wars for them. They need us to build a world for them that will allow them to dream, to grow, to live," Cordoves said, referring to children she would spend time with as a volunteer.

She expressed her anger at the fact that women and children have to worry about bullets and bombs the moment they step out of their homes.

"I stand here tonight refusing to tell the same story," she said. "[Children] need to fight for their dreams, not their lives."

However, the tide changed going in to the final Question and Answer portion.

Cordoves was jeered after declaring that she would ask Donald Trump for help over Hillary Clinton to stop war and violence.

"What if we actually use his voice to do good?" she argued.

The Miss Grand International 2016 pageant was held at the Westgate International Theater in Las Vegas, Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila). — Aya Tantiangco/BM, GMA News