Laura Lehmann is Miss World Philippines 2017

(Photo Courtesy by Rappler)

Laura Lehmann will embark on another journey as she was the newly crowned Miss World Philippines on September 3 and will be representing the country in Miss World 2017 in China on November 18.

Lehmann, 24, was a former courtside reporter and was also the host of Lifestyle Network’s travel show “Listed”. She has been dreaming of becoming a beauty queen and that dream became a reality when she placed first runner up in Binibining Pilipinas 2014.

According to Rappler, Lehmann said: “I always wanted to go back to pageantry after 2014. But I chose Miss World specifically because I really believed in what Miss World does. And as I mentioned, Miss World is the pageant that really justifies pageantry because you don't just have a crown on your head, it's not just about looking good, it's really about giving back and that's the focus of Miss World.”

The beauty queen is very active on her own advocacy as she goes to rural schools to donate books for kids. “It's called PREP – Promoting Rural Education in the Philippines. Basically what we do is we visit rural elementary schools in Tagaytay, Batangas and other provinces, and we interact with the kids. Sometimes, we teach them lessons that aren't available in their curriculum... but what I think that makes it sustainable is we donate books and we build libraries. So even after we're gone, even after we left the schools, there's a library for them to enjoy,” Lehmann said in an interview.