Kathleen Paton captured the 2022 Miss Eco International crown in ceremonies staged at the Triumph Luxury Hotel in Egypt on March 17 (March 18 in Manila), giving the Philippines its second triumph four years after Cynthia Thomalla won the crown in 2018.
No Filipino representative has missed the final two since the country started sending representatives in 2018.
The Philippines recorded a back-to-back first runner-up finish with Maureen Montagne and Kelly Day in 2019 and 2021, respectively.
Kathleen’s question in the Final 5 was a tough one: “As a title holder, you’re a public figure. Do you think it’s important to stay neutral on controversial social issues or to use your title to promote your own belief and why?”
Her winner answer:
It’s a very tough question because we are at the forefront of opinions and negativity every single day, especially on social media. I do believe as a leader and as someone who is very influential in society, we sometimes have to use our voice in a very neutral state of mind because we have a very influential position. But in doing, we also have to use our voice in order to motivate other people to stand up for what is right and I think that takes a lot of good moral compass.
Below is the complete list of winners:
- Miss Eco International 2022: Philippines
- 1st runner-up: Belgium
- 2nd runner-up: USA
- 3rd runner-up: Spain
- 4th runner-up: Malaysia