Miss Earth 2018 was the 18th edition of the Miss Earth pageant, held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Bay City,

Pasay Pasay, officially the City of Pasay (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 Philippine census, 2020 census, it has a ...

Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila ( ), commonly shortened to Metro Manila and formally the National Capital Region (NCR; ), is the capital region and largest List of metropolitan areas in the Philippines, metropolitan area of the Philippines. Located ...

, the Philippines, on November 3, 2018. Karen Ibasco of the Philippines crowned her successor Nguyễn Phương Khánh of Vietnam at the end of the event. This is the first time Vietnam won the Miss Earth pageant, one of the Big Four International Beauty Pageants. In August 2019, the Miss Earth 2018 winners and the

Armed Forces of the Philippines The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) () are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Philippine Army, Army, the Philippine Air Force, Air Force, and the Philippine Navy, Navy (including the P ...

conducted an outreach program for the welfare of the

senior citizen Old age is the range of ages for people nearing and surpassing life expectancy. People who are of old age are also referred to as: old people, elderly, elders, senior citizens, seniors or older adults. Old age is not a definite biological sta ...

s and persons with disabilities admitted at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in the Philippines.

Results

Placements

(§) – Placed in the Top 18 are two spots chosen by the People and Judges for the Best Eco-Video (1) and Best Eco-Social Media (1) Awardees

Background

On July 26, 2018, it was announced through Miss Earth Organization's social media accounts that the pageant will be held in the Philippines again from October 6 to November 3. The live telecast of the pageant's coronation night will be held at the Mall of Asia Arena in

for the third consecutive year. On October 20, 2018, Miss Earth announced on their Facebook page that they will have this year's Eco-Video and Eco-Media Award winners, automatic fast-tracks to the Top 18. Two candidates will earn two spots through the preliminary panel of judges and by the votes of social media.

Pre Pageant Activities

Medalists

Local Special Awards

Sponsor's Awards

Contestants

87 contestants competed for the title.

Notes

Debuts

Returns

*Last competed in

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

: ** *Last competed in

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

: ** ** *Last competed in

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

: ** ** *Last competed in

2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

: ** ** ** ** ** *Last competed in

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

: ** ** ** **

Replacements

* – Faye Bulcke was appointed Miss Earth Belgium 2018 by Ken Stevens (national director of Miss Earth Belgium) as a replacement to Mayke Aendekerk, who cannot compete to the pageant for personal reasons. Bulcke was crowned 2nd runner-up at the Miss Exclusive 2016 pageant. The winner of Miss Exclusive pageant usually competes at Miss Earth. * – Karen Jenifer Quispe Nava was appointed Miss Earth Bolivia 2018 by Promociones Gloria as a replacement to Ilssen Olmos Ferrufino, who was reportedly rejected by Miss Earth Organization for not meeting the age requirements of the pageant. Quispe was crowned Virreina Miss World Bolivia 2018. Olmos will compete in Miss Supranational 2018 pageant instead. * – Nishi Bharadwaj has been appointed as Miss Earth India 2018 by Glamanand Supermodel India Organization as a replacement to the original title holder of Miss Earth India 2018 Devika Vaid. The original winner suffered with an injury making her unable to compete at the forthcoming Miss Earth 2018.

Designations

* – Margo Fargo was appointed as Miss Earth South Africa 2018. The appointment was due to conflict of schedules with Miss Earth South Africa 2018 pageant and the Miss Earth 2018 pageant arrival. Fargo previously worked as Miss Earth South Africa Ambassador in 2014 and recently competed for Miss South Africa 2018, where she placed in the Top 12. * – Nirada Chetsadapriyakun was appointed as Miss Earth Thailand 2018 by Pawina Bumrungrot, National Director of ERM Marketing Co., Ltd., Thailand. Nirada was the 2nd Runner-up of Miss All Nations Thailand 2017.

Withdrawals

;During the contest * – Jaime Vandenberg participated in some the preliminary activities in Manila but she decided to withdraw before the coronation night after accusing one of the Filipino food sponsors of

sexual harassment Sexual harassment is a type of harassment based on the sex or gender of a victim. It can involve offensive sexist or sexual behavior, verbal or physical actions, up to bribery, coercion, and assault. Harassment may be explicit or implicit, wit ...

during a dinner at the Manila Yacht Club. * – Salwa Akar was dethroned the title "Miss Earth Lebanon 2018" by the Miss Lebanon Organization after her photo with Miss Israel appeared in the media. She returned to her hometown afterwards. ;Before the contest * * * * * * * * * * *

Controversies

Lebanon and Israel conflict

Miss Lebanon 2018, Salwa Akar received international press attention when she was stripped of her title in Lebanon, while participating in Miss Earth 2018 pageant after she posted a photo in Facebook with her arm around

Miss Israel Miss Israel (also referred to as , , ) was a national beauty pageant in Israel. The pageant was founded in 1950, where the winners were sent to Miss Universe. History In the late 1920s, a "Esther, Queen Esther Beauty Pageant" was held in Tel Avi ...

's Dana Zreik and making peace signs. Lebanon and Israel are in a long-standing state of war. As a result, she was unable to continue her participation in the Miss Earth pageant. In a press release, Israel's Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin Netanyahu (born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who has served as the prime minister of Israel since 2022, having previously held the office from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021. Netanyahu is the longest-serving prime min ...

’s spokesman Ofir Gendelman reacted on Akar’s dethronement and condemned the "Lebanese apartheid."

Sexual harassment allegations

On November 7–8, 2018, Jaime Vandenberg of Canada, Abbey-Anne Gyles-Brown of England, and Emma Sheedy of Guam accused one of the Filipino food sponsors of

during a dinner at the Manila Yacht Club, claiming that he asked them for sexual favors in exchange for the crown or an advancement in the pageant. Sheedy had identified the sponsor as Amado S. Cruz, who is president of a car rental company and CEO of a construction company. The Manila Yacht Club officials clarified that Cruz is not a member and could have just been sponsored by another member. The pageant officials indicated that Cruz was not one of the major sponsors of the pageant and just sponsored for an evening meal. Vandenberg withdrew from competition after Cruz obtained her mobile number without her consent and kept calling her for her hotel and room number. The pageant officials stated that they did not know how Cruz obtained her number, and they only have the delegates' international contact numbers and the pageant's mode of communication was through messenger and group chat only. Vandenberg also claimed the organizers confiscated her passport on the first day of competition. The pageant organizers denied Vandenberg's claim, stating that delegates are free to keep their passports by signing a waiver and they only keep the passports for safekeeping since there had been many occasions of misplacing or losing their passports and to facilitate check-in for their domestic flights and hotel accommodations. Vandenberg also said that seven candidates left the dinner and accompanied by the team managers to sit on the bus after feeling uncomfortable with the sponsor. All three candidates voiced their complaints to organizer Lorraine Schuck, but despite Schuck's assurance that Cruz would not be allowed near the candidates, he still appeared in the pageant. Schuck then stated that she does not have any authority in public places, such as the hotels where the delegates stayed and the Mall of Asia Arena where the grand final of the pageant took place since the pageant was a public event. Furthermore, Schuck said that all the delegates had police escorts for their safety. Schuck subsequently announced that Cruz is 'forever banned' from Miss Earth. On November 9, 2018, Cruz denied the accusations of the three candidates. In addition, Monica Aguilar of Cuba claimed there were no instances of sexual harassment during the competition. Instead, she stated that the sponsor asked only if they wished to extend their visas to proceed to

Boracay Boracay (; sometimes shortened by non-natives as Bora) is a resort island in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines, located off the northwest coast of Panay, Panay Island. It has a total land area of , under the jurisdiction of thre ...

after the pageant, and she further stated that "no one was promised to get us further in the competition through 'sexual favors." On November 10, 2018, Schuck's company Carousel Productions Inc. urged other candidates to come forward if they experienced any incidents of sexual harassment during the pageant. The organizer also expressed support to the delegates in case they decide to take any further action to the alleged perpetrator.

Crossovers

Contestants who previously competed or will be competing at other international beauty pageants: ;

Miss Universe Miss Universe is an annual international major beauty pageant that is run by a Thailand and Mexican-based Miss Universe Organization.Natalie Tadena (July 2, 2015"Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant Lands on Reelz Cable Channel". ''The Wall Stree ...

2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...

: : Valeria Ayos (Top 5) *

: : Antonia Figueroa (''Unplaced'') *

: : Maristella Okpala (''Unplaced''), Best National Costume *

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

: : Celeste Cortesi (''Unplaced'') *

: : Telma Madeira ''(Top 16)'' *

2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...

: : Melissa Flores'' (Unplaced)'' *

: : Diana Silva ''(Top 10)'' ;

Miss World Miss World is the oldest existing international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951. Since his death in 2000, Morley's widow, Julia Morley, has co-chaired the pageant. Along with Miss Universe, Mi ...

: : Antonia Figueroa (''Unplaced'') *

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

: : Renae Martinez (''Unplaced'') ; Miss International *

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

: : Monique Shippen (''Unplaced'') ; Miss Grand International *

: : Denisse Andor ''(Unplaced)'' ; Miss Asia Pacific International *

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

: : Sona Danielyan (''Unplaced'') ;

Top Model of the World The Top Model of the World is an international search for the ultimate model. The event started in 1993 in Miami, organised by the Globana Group.Dolores Cardoso (''Unplaced'') ; Miss Grand Mar Universe * 2016: : Yanika Azzopardi (Top 5) ; Miss City Tourism World * 2017: : Diana Silva (Winner) ; Miss Black San International Queen * 2017: : Xamiera Kippins (Winner) ; Miss Tourism America * 2014: : Larissa Dominguez (Winner)