Katarina Rodriguez looks forward to 2019

Reigning Miss World Philippines Katarina Rodriguez may not have won the Miss World 2018 crown in China recently but says that she won't change a thing during the international competition.

"I arrived in China feeling like the weight of the world was on my shoulders & now I leave China feeling absolute freedom," says Rodriguez on Instagram just one day after she arrived from China recently.

Rodriguez continues: "I would not have changed a thing during my time in Miss World this past month. Despite not bringing home the blue crown, I did exactly what I wanted, I represented my beloved country for my last time & introduced to the world #ProjectBecome & the @teachpeacebuildpeacemovement;

"This competition was more than just a crown. It meant becoming a woman. It was opening my heart and mind to a panel of judges, who in retrospect had their preferences, knowing the possibility that my reality wouldn’t be what they were looking for," the Filipino-American beauty queen says.

Rodriguez continues: "There is no one to blame with the results. This is simply life. To many of you it seems that @missworld has been crowning the same queen each year now, however every year they add some new spice to the pageant itself."

"The competition was like a month long casting & if you don’t fit the role you won’t get the job. This is how I see it as. By now you should all know me well enough to know that I stayed true to my authentic self all through out.;

"In life knowing who you are & who you’re not will get you further than striving to be anyone other than yourself. Thank you to @msworldphil & @arnold_vegafria for trusting me with this wonderful opportunity I’m looking forward to 2019 with you ALV.;

"To my parents & grandparents, I thank them for being the best sets in the entire world & for their endless support. Because of them, I’ll always be the lucky one. To my A&Qs fam, thank you for playing a huge part in my becoming the woman I am today. Mamas, you’re real life fairy godmothers;

"To my team who became my friends & in turn my family, alam mo na. This was for you, the army of people backing me up & believing in me. You guys proved to me that limitations are only cerebral especially with the support of Filipinos worldwide," Rodriguez says. - ROBERT REQUINTINA