9 Facts About Tracy Maureen Perez, Our New Miss World Philippines 2021

Miss World Philippines 2021 is Tracy Maureen Perez

Following Beatrice Luigi Gomez’s win in Miss Universe Philippines 2021, another Cebuana beauty has bagged a coveted beauty pageant crown. On 3rd October, Cebu City’s Tracy Maureen Perez was named Miss World Philippines 2021.

While her win seems like an overnight success, the beauty queen has actually competed in quite a few pageants and even joined some of them twice. To know more about this tenacious beauty queen, read these Tracy Maureen Perez facts below.

1. She was originally from Mindanao

Tracy Maureen Perez - Miss Universe Philippines 2020 candidate
Perez also represented Cebu City in Miss Universe Philippines 2020
Image credit: @tracymaureenperez

While Perez represented Cebu City in Miss World Philippines 2021 and other national pageants, she was actually born and raised in Mindanao. In fact, she was from Agusan Del Sur.

When she was in high school, Perez, her mom, and grandma moved to Argao, Cebu because her grandmother needed better medical care.

Perez then moved to Cebu City by herself to go to college.

2. She was a premature baby

From being a premature baby, Perez is now set to compete in the global pageant stage
Image credit: Miss World Philippines Organization

In an interview with The Freeman, Perez said she considers herself a miracle baby.

Doctors said that her mom, Chona Perez, would only live up to 30 and would never be able to bear a child. However, Perez was born when her mom was 32.

She was born extremely premature at only six months and was so small that she could fit in a shoe box.

3. She is a software engineer

This beauty queen is also a woman in STEM
Image credit: @tracymaureenperez

The beauty queen is also a woman in STEM. In particular, she is a software engineer.

She has worked as an associate software engineer at a multinational IT services company in the Philippines. Her job involved ensuring the quality and functionality of web and mobile apps.

Perez took up Industrial Engineering in college at the University of San Carlos. Initially, she didn’t know which course to take up but her relatives convinced her to study engineering as her cousins were also in the same field.

4. Her workmates signed her up for Binibining Cebu 2016

Perez (second from right) won first runner up during her first major pageant, Binibining Cebu 2016
Image credit: SunStar Philippines

Perez joined Binibining Cebu 2016 while she was working as a software engineer. After she joined a pageant organized by her company for fun, her coworkers signed her up for the provincial pageant.

Prior to this, Perez’s only other pageant experience was Miss TC 2011, a pageant held at her college.

Despite having little pageant experience, though, she emerged as Binibining Cebu 2016’s first runner-up.

5. She joins pageants to fulfill her late mom’s dreams

Perez during the Binibining Cebu 2018 pageant
Image credit: @tracymaureenperez

After joining her first few pageants, Perez began to believe that she was destined to fulfill her late mom’s beauty queen dreams. Her late mom, Chona Perez was a Binibining Pilipinas candidate in 1979 and was also selected as one of Cebu’s Five Prettiest.

“There’s something about pageantry that’s different,” Perez shared in an interview with The Freeman after winning Binibining Cebu Charity in 2018. “I realized that my mom had a dream, and maybe it’s my turn to fulfill her dreams for me.”

Perez’s mom had met with an accident when she was 18. She had to undergo major operations and was told that she couldn’t have kids and wouldn’t live past 30. Despite this, she had Perez when she was 32.

During Perez’s The Freeman interview, she expressed that she was thankful that God let her borrow her mom for 18 years and that she thinks her mom lived a happy life during that time.

“I see that my mom lived a wonderful life. When she was told she wouldn’t live past 30 and that she couldn’t have a child, she gave birth to me at 32 and lived through the age of 48. Thankful kaayo ko nga gipa-borrow siya ni God sa akoa,” she said. (“I am thankful that God let me borrow her.”)

6. She wanted to win a Cebu pageant title before representing her province nationally

Tracy Maureen Perez - Binibining Cebu Charity
Perez (second from left) won her first title as Binibining Cebu Charity in 2018
Image credit: @tracymaureenperez

Perez tried to win a title in Cebu many times. She believed that she had to win a title locally before she could represent her province in national pageants.

A year after her Binibining Cebu 2016 stint, she joined Binibining Cebu 2017 but did not get to bag a winning slot.

Relentless, Perez joined Binibining Cebu again in 2018 despite pageant returnees not being a popular in the province. There, she finally won her first title – Binibining Cebu Charity.

During her first press briefing as a title-holder, Perez was emotional as she had never imagined that she would ever win.

7. She had also joined Miss World Philippines in 2019

Perez during Miss World Philippines 2019
Image credit: @tracymaureenperez

Perez had previously joined Miss World Philippines in 2019. That year, she was able to make it to the Top 12.

The following year, she tried her luck in another national pageant, Miss Universe Philippines where she won Best in Swimsuit and Miss Photogenic and finished at Top 16.

Thankfully, Perez never gave up on her beauty queen dreams. She went for another try for the Miss World Philippines title in 2021 and finally took home the crown.

8. Her advocacy lies in education

In 2019, Perez gave away school supplies to primary students in Argao, Cebu
Image credit: Tracy Maureen Perez

After her mom’s passing, Perez’s relatives funded her college education. Coming from this experience, Perez wants to help impoverished kids receive education as well.

In fact, she spent her winnings from Binibining Cebu for an education-centered project for orphans and less fortunate children.

She believes that these children should be given a chance to get a better life through education.

“I was helped by the right people and so from the day I started becoming happy again, I made it my life’s mission to also help someone,” she shared with The Freeman. “People helped me. Considering the things I’ve gone through, I could have gone another path. But I’m here.”

9. She’s under the same model management and beauty camp as Miss Universe Philippines 2021

An editorial photo of Perez
Image credit: @originmanagement

Apart from the fact that they represented Cebu City in their respective competitions, Perez shares 2 more similarities with Miss Universe Philippines 2021 winner Beatrice Luigi Gomez.

As models, both are represented by Origin Model and Artist Management. They also share the same beauty camp, the notable queen maker Aces & Queens.

Aside from Perez and Gomez, Miss Universe Philippines 2019 Gazini Ganados also models with Origin Management.

Tracy Maureen Perez to represent the Philippines in Miss World 2021

While she has won one of the most sought-after crowns in Philippine pageantry, Tracy Maureen Perez’s beauty queen journey doesn’t stop at Miss World Philippines 2021. She is set to compete in the Miss World 2021 pageant in Puerto Rico in December.

So far, Megan Young has been the only Filipina to ever take home the Miss World crown in 2013 but with her confidence and character, we’re certain that our persistent Miss World Philippines 2021 will put up a good fight.

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Cover image adapted from: @tracymaureenperez and @tracymaureenperez