Filipino beauty queens rally behind Cyrille Payumo amid gown backlash

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Supporters of the Miss Charm Philippines 2025 titleholder note that designer Mak Tumang himself had offered the gown to the beauty queen. Catriona Gray had worn the iconic gown in her final walk at Miss Universe 2019.

MANILA, Philippines – Several beauty queens have sent Cyrille Payumo words of encouragement after the Miss Charm Philippines 2025 titleholder faced backlash after she wore Catriona Gray’s iconic farewell gown at a local pageant.

On Monday, January 27, Payumo took to Instagram to post a lengthy statement where she apologized to those who got upset about her wearing Gray’s Mak Tumang gown during her final walk at the second edition of Miss Universe Philippines-Pampanga days prior. Gray wore the shimmering blue gown during her final walk at Miss Universe 2019 in the US.

Payumo said that she felt a “profound sense of honor” when she was told that Tumang would be sponsoring her gown, and that one of the options would be Gray’s farewell gown. She also shared that she felt “an overwhelming sense of privilege” from being allowed to wear the gown.

She then apologized to those she had “hurt or offended” by wearing the gown, adding that while it was never her intention to hurt anyone, she understood that it sparked divided opinions among the public.

“My goal was to honor not only the victory of bringing the Miss Philippines Charm title home to Pampanga but also to celebrate the visionary artistry of Mak Tumang. I want to express my deep gratitude to Sir Mak for allowing me to wear one of his stunning masterpieces,” Payumo wrote.

Payumo explained that she will take “full responsibility for any misunderstandings or hurt feelings,” and that she has taken the time to deeply reflect on the experience and regrets any distressed she has caused.

Several beauty queens rallied behind Payumo in the comments section, showing support for the young Miss Charm Philippines 2025 titleholder.

Miss Universe New Zealand 2024 Victoria Velasquez Vincent, who also competed in Miss Universe Philippines 2021, assured Payumo that she didn’t need to apologize.

“The pageant realm should be apologizing for their ongoing toxic behavior towards women who have good intentions. Can’t wait to see you raise our PH flag, we are so proud of you,” Vincent commented.

Miss Eco International 2024 first runner-up Chantal Elise Schmidt also came to Payumo’s defense, saying that Tumang himself offered it to her as an option. She also called on everyone to show kindness, and to not bash Payumo over it.

“As a model I can tell you that designers are VERY selective about who wears their gowns, so if Mak has given [Cyrille] the stamp of approval, why shouldn’t we? It’s an iconic and historic gown, definitely, but we can’t deny that Cyrille wore it with class and elegance. I for one was excited to see this iconic gown glittering on stage again,” Schmidt said.

Miss Universe Philippines 2024 Chelsea Manalo also made a simple show of support, commenting a heart emoji under Payumo’s post.

Tumang and Gray have yet to comment on the matter as of posting time.

Hailing from Pampanga, Payumo was crowned Miss Charm Philippines 2025 in May 2024. She’s been a regular in the local pageant scene for years, having been crowned Miss Tourism International 2019. She also competed in the 2022 edition of Binibining Pilipinas, and made it to the top 10 of Miss Universe Philippines 2024. – Rappler.com