Mister, Miss Supranational titleholders reflect on past year as reign’s end nears
Miss Supranational Harashta Haifa Zahra (second from right) and Mister Supranational Fezile Mkhize (second from left) with The Miss Philippines-Supranational Tarah Valencia (right) and Mister Pilipinas-Supranational Kenneth Cabungcal. Image: INQUIRER.net/Armin P. Adina
Next month, a new Miss Supranational and a new Mister Supranational will be proclaimed in Poland. And the reigning titleholders reflected on the past year during their recent trip to Manila.
Outgoing Miss Supranational Harashta Haifa Zahra and Mister Supranational Fezile Mkhize returned to the Philippines earlier this month after reuniting in the queen’s home country of Indonesia.
The two faced the media at a press conference held in Pasig City on Tuesday afternoon, May 6, where they were also joined by Miss Supranational President Gerhard von Lipinski and Empire Philippines President Jonas Gaffud.
INQUIRER.net asked Mkhize and Zahra if their reigns were anything like how they imagined them to be when they received their respective titles in the twin competitions held in July last year.
The current Mister Supranational said, “it’s been more than I expected, to be honest with you. I tell the people, this competitive work that I do almost feels like a holiday.”
He was just in Manila last month for the 2025 Mister Pilipinas Worldwide finals, where Kenneth Cabungcal was proclaimed as the Philippines’ entry to the 2025 Mister Supranational contest.
“We have long hours, we meet a lot of people, a lot of press, a lot of talking. But it’s always centered in such a good and positive initiative. And for me, that is why I love the Supra family. It’s aspirational and inspirational, and that can come in so many forms,” shared the physician from South Africa.
He also said that he found it to be an honor to spread the organization’s thrust to different countries, and to do it “with probably the greatest queen I’ve ever come across,” referring to Zahra. They were their countries’ first-ever winners in the two tilts.
Zahra, for her part, said, “it was really a wonderful reign that will come to an end. Supranational for me is about the pageantry that aways gives back to people beside us. Like, in every country, we always do social initiatives.”
She had also visited Manila in December, where she was joined by Miss Supranational Asia and Oceania Alethea Ambrosio of the Philippines at a charity event.
“That’s really something to do in Supranational, like the vision and mission of the Miss Supranational which is ‘inspirational and aspirational,’ and ‘from the ground up’ project,” Zahra said.
The two reigning titleholders also shared their thoughts about passing their respective titles to their successors. “My reign is coming to an end, and me going to have to hand over the sash has been one that I couldn’t have dreamed of,” Mkhize said.
Zahra said she almost felt like crying, “not because I’m afraid to give the crown to the new queen, but I’m afraid this past year with my new family will end, we’re not gonna have a good time together anymore.”
The 2025 Miss Supranational pageant will hold its final competition in Malopolska, Poland, on June 27 (June 28 in Manila), while the 2025 Mister Supranational contest will conclude in the same place on June 28 (June 29 in Manila).
Joining Cabungcal in raising the Philippines’ flag in the twin contests will be The Miss Philippines-Supranational Tarah Valencia, third runner-up in the 2024 Miss Universe Philippines pageant. /ra
