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Miss Universe Philippines 2025 1st Runner-Up Teresita Ssen Marquez Looks Back on the Competition and Talks About Motherhood

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<div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1746757957304muph 2025 1st runner up winwyn. marquez.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Miss Universe Philippines 2025 1st Runner-Up Teresita Ssen Marquez, wearing an evening gown by Ryan Ablaza Uson “RAU” | Photography by Dennis Sulit</div><div> </div>Miss Universe Philippines 2025 may be done with its coronation night, but that end also signals a new start for its roster of beauty queens. The lineup is led by <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/metro-style/people/2025/5/3/10-things-about-miss-universe-philippines-2025-ma-ahtisa-manalo-0801" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Quezon Province&#x27;s Ma. Ahtisa Manalo</a>, followed by this year&#x27;s 1st Runner-Up, Teresita Ssen &quot;Winwyn&quot; Marquez.One can say this time is like the calm after the storm. Even with a calendar still full of Miss Universe Philippines-related events, Winwyn is basking in post-competition bliss. She looks back on her latest pageant experience not with regrets but with gratitude for its beautiful turnout. &quot;Actually, nagsi-sink in pa lang lahat. But, siyempre, tao lang din. Sometimes you think you could&#x27;ve done better, you could&#x27;ve done this. But I&#x27;m the type of person na hindi kasi ako nagre-regret sa ginagawa ko,&quot; Miss Universe Philippines 2025 1st Runner-Up Winwyn Marquez told Metro.Style. &quot;So, dumaan lang &#x27;yung thought na &#x27;yun, and then I let go of it.&quot;During the competition&#x27;s Q&amp;A, Winwyn was asked, &quot;On May 12, 2025, our general elections will be held, and we will be choosing our leaders. In your opinion, what is the most essential quality that we should look for in leaders? Why?&quot; The Muntinlupa City representative answered, &quot;We should look for someone who has integrity, someone who puts people’s welfare before their own political wants and own needs. We should have a leader that is not politics as usual, but someone who will always put other people’s wants and needs. Thank you.&quot;<div> </div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1746767055758Teresita Ssen Marquez MUPH 2025 Q and A.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Photo from @themissuniverseph</div><div> </div>Looking back at that segment, we asked Winwyn if she would have answered differently. &quot;I would have said the same,&quot; she declared. &quot;S&#x27;yempre, integrity is something very important to me and finding in a leader, &#x27;di ba? Someone who will put other people&#x27;s welfare first. Someone who can actually decide &#x27;yung mga difficult decisions but still have the empathy and humility to collaborate with others... I&#x27;m tired of politics as usual. I think people are tired of politics as usual. We do not need more politicians. I think we need more problem solvers who will put Filipinos first.&quot;Winwyn is proud of herself and her performance, happy with how the pageant gave her new friends and life lessons in the process. Although she&#x27;s been in the pageant scene for quite a long time, Miss Universe Philippines still allowed her to discover new things about herself. &quot;Siguro &#x27;yung new is I could be vulnerable talaga kahit on stage. Kasi &#x27;di ba &#x27;pag mommy ka, expected nila na tough ka,&quot; she pondered, thankful that her fellow candidates weren&#x27;t judgmental about where she was coming from. &quot;Naiintindihan nila ako kung saan ako nanggagaling. So I think that was one realization na, yeah, I&#x27;m a mom, I could be tough, but I&#x27;m also human after all.&quot;By joining the pageant, Winwyn wanted to share an inspiring message about how dreams do not expire even when one takes on another role, like in her case, being a mother. Winwyn expressed, &quot;I&#x27;m just really proud of myself that I sent the message that I really want to send to everybody. That, you know, about me being a mom, about dreams, p&#x27;wede matuloy. And after the pageant, I saw all my DMs, I saw my messages, oh my gosh, du&#x27;n ako naiyak. Kasi almost all moms ang nag-message sa akin. And they&#x27;re thanking me, they&#x27;re sending sobrang kind words to me, and du&#x27;n, feeling ko winner na ako because I said it&#x27;s more than the crown for me. Du&#x27;n ako parang &#x27;okay lang kahit hindi manalo, at least nagawa ko &#x27;yung gusto ko.&quot;<div> </div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1746758771607muph 2025 1st runner up winwyn. marquez 2.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Photography by Dennis Sulit</div><div> </div>In 2022, Miss Universe changed its rules, allowing women to join the pageant regardless of marital status. Miss Universe Philippines implemented the same rules for its 2023 edition and opened its applications to Filipino citizens aged 18 to 27, regardless of the applicant&#x27;s civil status and height. The following year, Miss Universe also removed the age limit for contestants. Winwyn took those changes as a sign to try pageantry again. &quot;I thought to myself, parang, &#x27;Why not try again?&#x27; I always had that thought after Reina. &#x27;Why not try again?&#x27; Tapos hindi siya natutuloy for some reason. Hindi ako lagi &#x27;yung 110%. Tapos sabi ko, &#x27;Sige, I&#x27;ll just move on with my life. Have my own family.&#x27; Because I want to have my own family. Because baka hindi para sa&#x27;kin. And then a year after I gave birth and when I decided na tama na &#x27;yung pageantry, nag-open naman sa moms bigla. Nag-open sa edad namin. And I took that as a sign. So sabi ko, &#x27;Ito na ata &#x27;yung sinasabi ni God. Na ginawa mo na &#x27;yung gusto mo, nagka-baby ka na and all. I think this is the right time for you.&#x27; So I grabbed the opportunity. My local director offered me to join and wala nang dalawang isip pa,&quot; the 33-year-old beauty queen and actress opened up. For the latest edition of Miss Universe Philippines, four moms were among the official delegates: Winwyn who represented Muntinlupa City, Louise Lian Bobe from Bacolod, Angela Norwillen Cabel from Tacloban, and Franches Anne Laquibla from Negros Occidental.Winwyn may not have won the Miss Universe Philippines 2025 title, but she is still winning in life. For one, she&#x27;s surrounded by many people who love and support her no matter what, including her no. 1 fan, her daughter Luna; Winwyn&#x27;s three-year-old daughter watched the coronation night and rooted for her, complete with a banner and a crown lightstick. &quot;To think she is just 3 years old pero she knew what was happening. So for me na makita ako ng anak ko na ganyan, core memory na namin &#x27;yun e. She was the most important person sa crowd. And wala na akong ibang hahanapin kundi siya. So again, in that sense, winner na rin talaga ako,&quot; Winwyn shared. So, what does &quot;winning&quot; mean to her at this phase in her life? &quot;I do celebrate big and small wins in my life,&quot; she reflected. &quot;Feeling ko kasi sometimes, lalo na &#x27;yung small wins, you take them for granted, &#x27;di ba? And I think that&#x27;s the most important thing... Kasi alam ko &#x27;yun &#x27;yung stepping stone towards something big.&quot;<div> </div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1746760201909winwyn marquez daughter luna.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Winwyn&#x27;s daughter, Luna | Photo from @teresitassen</div><div> </div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1746760506041491423731_1736820580583143_7045651217223876742_n.jpeg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Winwyn with Luna | Photo from @teresitassen</div><div> </div>Winwyn brought Luna with her to some of her activities for Miss Universe Philippines. Having her daughter around gave her a boost of confidence and energy. &quot;Kasama ko kasi siya sa fittings ko. Kasama ko siya sa ibang events. Like in Boracay, we had a swimsuit competition and ginagaya niya &#x27;yung ginagawa namin,&quot; she laughed. The thought of her daughter entering pageantry in the future crossed her mind, but while that&#x27;s still far ahead, Winwyn knows that should that happen, she&#x27;ll be as supportive to Luna as much as her mom, Alma Moreno, has always been to her. Her mother, Winwyn said, was not strict, so she&#x27;s adopting the same parenthood style. &quot;Hindi siya strict, but she wants us to be honest with her. Kasi &#x27;di ba, the more na masyadong strict, the more ka magtatago. The more ka tatakas. I think that&#x27;s her concept,&quot; Winwyn shared. &quot;And I think I would do the same with my daughter. I want her to treat me as her best friend, but still have the boundaries, s&#x27;yempre, mommy niya ako. Ayokong matakot siya sa&#x27;kin. I want her to be open with me. I want her to tell me everything. Kahit walang limitation &#x27;yan, basta sabihin niya lang sa akin &#x27;yung totoo. Kasi gusto ko nasa tabi niya ako lagi. And I think my mom was like that with me. Kaya I was free to do all the things that I wanted to do with her support.&quot;<div> </div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-2" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/COonZHonHkJ/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=864&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A2%2C%22os%22%3A11852310.100000024%2C%22ls%22%3A750992.8000000119%2C%22le%22%3A751297.3000000119%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="881" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-2" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div> </div>Alma was there at the Miss Universe Philippines coronation night to support Winwyn. By the end of the competition, Winwyn said her mom just hugged her, actions speaking louder than words: &quot;She didn&#x27;t say anything else. I appreciated that she just hugged me and didn&#x27;t really say anything. She just said she&#x27;s so proud of me.&quot;Winwyn added that she and her mom don&#x27;t see each other often anymore, but their bond stays strong. &quot;I have my own family. She&#x27;s doing her own thing. Lagi lang kami nagko-communicate. Ewan ko, siguro may mother instinct talaga e. Kasi si Mama, &#x27;pag malungkot ako, bigla lang siya tatawag out of nowhere. Na parang &#x27;Kumusta ka na? May problema ka ba?&#x27; And I&#x27;m like, &#x27;Paano mo naramdaman?&#x27; And even if we don&#x27;t see each other or we don&#x27;t really constantly talk, alam kong nand&#x27;yan siya if kailangan ko talaga. Alam kong she&#x27;ll always be present when I need her. So, &#x27;yun naman ang importante.&quot;<div> </div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-4" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/COEzsiKHhOk/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=864&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A4%2C%22os%22%3A14852155%2C%22ls%22%3A750992.8000000119%2C%22le%22%3A751297.3000000119%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="746" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-4" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div> </div>Winwyn is a seasoned beauty queen. She started her pageant journey in 2015 through Binibining Pilipinas, where she finished as a Top 15 finalist. She also joined Miss World Philippines 2017, where she was crowned Reina Hispanoamericana Filipinas 2017. It was when the Philippines debuted in Reina Hispanoamericana—an annual beauty pageant that celebrates Hispanic heritage, language, and culture—and Winwyn made history as the first Filipina to hold that title. We asked: &quot;What&#x27;s next for Winwyn?&quot; She said that after being in the pageant scene for over a decade, she&#x27;d like to think that she has already graduated from being a beauty queen. &quot;But we&#x27;ll never know what&#x27;s gonna happen in the future,&quot; she quipped. For now, though, what Winwyn wants to focus on is improving her well-being and spending quality time with her family. &quot;We&#x27;ll never know what&#x27;s gonna happen,&quot; she emphasized. &quot;But as of now, I&#x27;m just going to enjoy the moment I have right now.&quot;<div> </div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1746766051483muph 2025 1st runner up winwyn. marquez 3.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Photo by Dennis Sulit</div><div> </div>Lead photo by Dennis Sulit<div> </div><div>Related: <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/metro-style/people/2025/5/3/transcript-how-the-miss-universe-philippines-2025-top-6-delegates-performed-at-the-q-a-1139" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">How the Miss Universe Philippines 2025 Top 6 Delegates Performed at the Q&amp;A</a></div>

In this exclusive, Miss Universe Philippines 2025 1st Runner-Up Teresita Ssen Marquez looks back on the competition and how she fulfilled her purpose as a beauty queen—plus, she talks about motherhood and her relationship with her mother, Alma Moreno.

In this exclusive, Miss Universe Philippines 2025 1st Runner-Up Teresita Ssen Marquez looks back on the competition and how she fulfilled her purpose as a beauty queen—plus, she talks about motherhood and her relationship with her mother, Alma Moreno.

What Mom and Beauty Queen Winwyn Marquez Is Most Proud Of After the MUPH 2025 Competition

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What Mom and Beauty Queen Winwyn Marquez Is Most Proud Of After the MUPH 2025 Competition

Grace Libero

Published May 09, 2025 01:45 PM PHT

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Updated May 09, 2025 02:21 PM PHT

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Teresita Ssen Marquez

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