page_title: Pia Wurtzbach
section_title: Miss Universe 2015
hierarchical_section_title: Pia Wurtzbach / Pageantry / Miss Universe 2015
caption_attribution_description: MISS UNIVERSE PAGEANT 2017
context_page_description: Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, formerly known professionally as Pia Romero, is a Filipina-German model, actress and beauty queen, who was crowned Miss Universe 2015. She is one of the four Filipinas to have won the Miss Universe. She had previously won Binibining Pilipinas 2015.
  She joined Binibining Pilipinas pageant three times, and won in 2015 in her third attempt. She then represented Philippines at the global Miss Universe 2015, where she eventually won the title. She is the third Filipina to win the title of Miss Universe, following Gloria Diaz who won in 1969 and Margarita Moran who won in 1973.
context_section_description: Wurtzbach represented the Philippines in the 2015 Miss Universe contest held on December 20, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. During the first question and answer round, Wurtzbach was asked by host Steve Harvey, "earlier this year, there was a controversy in the Philippines about the United States reopening a military base in your country. Do you think the United States should have a military presence in your country?" Wurtzbach answered:
  I think that the United States and the Philippines have always had a good relationship with each other. We were colonized by the Americans and we have their culture in our traditions even up to this day and I think that we're very welcoming with the Americans and I don't see any problem with that at all.
  In the final question and answer portion, the top three contestants were asked the same question by Harvey: "Why should you be the next Miss Universe?" and she replied:
  To be a Miss Universe is both an honor and responsibility. If I were to be Miss Universe, I will use my voice to influence the youth, and I would raise awareness to certain causes like HIV awareness that is timely and relevant to my country which is the Philippines. I want to show the world, the universe rather, that I am confidently beautiful with a heart. Thank you.
  Wurtzbach's answer references the pageant's motto "Confidently Beautiful". At the end of the show, host Steve Harvey mistakenly announced Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutiérrez as the winner. However, after Gutiérrez's crowning, Harvey returned to the stage and stated that he had misread the results and that Wurtzbach was really Miss Universe 2015. Paulina Vega (Miss Universe 2014) then removed the crown from Gutiérrez's head and placed it on Wurtzbach's head.
  Wurtzbach is the third Miss Universe from the Philippines after Gloria Diaz in 1969, and Margarita Moran in 1973.
  On January 21, 2016, she traveled to Bali in Indonesia to shoot a commercial for C 1000, a vitamin brand available in Indonesia. Two days later, on January 23, 2016, she arrived in the Philippines for a week-long homecoming celebration with visits to the cities of Manila, Makati, Pasay and Quezon City. She also made courtesy calls to the Congress of the Philippines, Senate of the Philippines and Malacañang Palace.
  On February 1, 2016, she arrived in San Francisco to fulfill her duties as Inside Edition's special correspondent for Super Bowl 50. While in San Francisco, she was also reunited with Janine Tugonon, Miss Universe 2012 1st Runner-up from the Philippines.
  On February 28, 2016, she travelled to Toronto, Canada to deliver a speech against bullying at the Speakers Forum for the International Students of the Language Academy of Canada wherein she shared some of her childhood experiences as a victim of bullying. During her stay in Canada, she was reunited with Miss Universe Canada 2015, Paola Nunez Valdez. She also met and gave some advice to the contestants of Miss Universe Canada 2016.
  On March 25, 2016, Wurtzbach returned to the Philippines for an unannounced visit to take care of some personal things including renewing her Philippine passport, charity works and film a new commercial for Philippine Airlines. She also met and gave advice to the candidates of Binibining Pilipinas 2016 during their press presentation. On April 12, 2016 she returned to the Philippines for the Binibining Pilipinas 2016 pageant and on April 17 crowned her successor Maxine Medina as Miss Universe Philippines 2016 during the coronation night. During the pageant she was reunited with Miss Myanmar 2015, May Barani Thaw and Miss Malaysia 2015, Vanessa Tevi while Miss USA 2015, who at Miss Universe, placed 2nd runner-up, Olivia Jordan served as a judge. Wurtzbach's farewell speech and walk at Binibining Pilipinas 2016 as Miss Universe Philippines 2015, trended at social media with enormous hits.
  On April 21, 2016, Wurtzbach arrived in Peru to attend Miss Peru 2016 pageant where she served as a judge. She also had a press conference a day before the pageant and was greeted by the Lima City Mayor, Luis Castaned
caption: A set of commemorative stamps issued by the Philippine Post Office honoring the three Miss Universes of the Philippines.
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