From 'aged out' to 'ageless': Will these queens join Miss Universe Philippines?

MANILA, Philippines — Before the age restriction was eliminated by the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) — which will take effect in 2024 — a lot of highly qualified aspirants lost their dreams because of aging out of the qualification rules. With 28 as the age ceiling of the past, Miss Universe said its entrants are no longer hindered by the age requirement.

With this new development, we harken back to years in the past where Filipina aspirants were forced to end their pageant journeys because of age. Let's revisit some of them and see if this second chance will now fulfill their lifelong dreams.

The first lady that comes to mind is newlywed and young mother Vickie Rushton. Hers was a particularly painful case because her "aging out" was not of her doing but was caused by external factors. Her last foray with the Binibining Pilipinas tilt was even cut short by postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Another lady who "aged out" of the race, albeit for another pageant title, was Aya Abesamis. Should she pursue the same path as her mom, Desiree Verdadero, once again — who knows? — she could end up in the Top 5 like her mom did.

With the MUO allowing young mothers and married women to join the pageant, a lot of pageant aficionados would agree that Steffi Aberasturi and Alaiza Malinao should give their pageant dreams one more try.

Another Filipina we think should continue her pageant journey is Ma. Katrina Dimaranan. With the age hindrance out of the way, the dusky beauty could make it to the very top this time around.

Then there's Samantha Bernardo, who was robbed of her moment in Thailand. Rumors have it that the Palaweña has her sights on the Supranational crown, the only pageant system that raised the eligibility to 32. But with this new update from MUO, perhaps Sam may reconsider her Supra bid and make it one for the Universe instead.

While it is true that any woman of any age can join the Miss Universe pageant, we still need to remember that only one woman wins their respective national pageant. There will only be one national delegate or representative.

The rules of the game may have "changed," but the responsibilities of the crowned winner have remained