Who is Regina Dee? Meet Michelle Dee's late grandma and Chinese socialite

As a beauty queen, Michelle Dee is following the footsteps of her mom, Miss International 1979 Melanie Marquez. But did you know that she has another female role model in her life?

It's none other than Regina Dee, her paternal grandmother.

According to a PEP.ph article, Regina is born in Shanghai, China and her own father is a politician who served the Republic of China (now in Taiwan).

Educated in the United States due to the Chinese Civil War, Regina eventually settled in the Philippines after visiting her sister in Manila.

She then married Dee K. "DK" Chiong, the president of the China Banking Corporation, where she also worked as a director for 20 years. They had two children: Anthony and Frederick, who became an action star popularly known as Derek Dee—Michelle's father.

Regina is the founder of Inner Peace Foundation, a non-profit and non-sectarian organization based on the Inner Peace Movement started by Dr. Francisco Coll in the United States.

"It's basically a group of people that come together to share their experiences and help each other grow. It's been in existence for more than I've been alive," Michelle said about the foundation in 2019.

"It's just so humbling to have that kind of values and qualities that raise you because it really gives you a sense of purpose, a sense of belonging, and a sense that you really just want to give back to people that helped you."

Michelle, who won the Voice For Change video competition in the Miss Universe 2023 pageant for her autism awareness advocacy, said her grandmother helped instill the same values to her.

"I really credit my love for giving back to her. She has spent most of her life giving back despite her position of privilege," she said about Regina, who died in 2013 at 86.

Michelle ended her Miss Universe 2023 journey in the Top 10. She also won three special awards.

—MGP, GMA Integrated News