COMEDIAN Awra Briguela fell short of winning the crown in the “Hiyas ng Silangan 2025,” a gay beauty pageant held at the University of the East in Manila.
Awra proudly shared her first runner-up finish on Instagram, posting photos from the competition and her coronation moment.
She admitted feeling disappointed at first for not winning the title but later reflected on her real purpose for joining the pageant.
She said it was her first time joining any beauty contest and that having placed first runner-up despite only three days of preparation was already a big achievement.
“1st place for a first timer, not bad at all. I couldn’t be prouder of myself, knowing I only had three days to prepare for this pageant,” she wrote.
Awra also said she joined the competition to promote her advocacy against bullying, both online and in real life, having personally experienced it herself.
“I’ve always believed that everything happens for a reason and if it’s meant for me, it will be. Now that it’s finally sinking in, I can proudly say, I did that. In just three days of preparation, I made it happen and I couldn’t have done it without my amazing team,” she said, thanking her glam team and supporters.
