Before hosting the grand coronation night of the Miss Universe Philippines 2022 pageant, Miss Universe queens Pia Wurtzbach, Iris Mittenaere, and Demi-Leigh Tebow met Smile Train beneficiaries under the care of its partner, Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation of the Philippines, Inc. (NCFPI). The queens reunited for this special gathering to bring awareness about clefts, continuing their important work as advocates of Smile Train.
Smile Train, the world’s largest cleft-focused organization, welcomed them to the Philippines and organized the visit with the support of The Miss Universe Philippines organization. “Smile Train is grateful for the unwavering support given by the Miss Universe queens and the Miss Universe Organization. The impact they have globally and their genuine compassion towards our patients are vital to further our cause,” said Smile Train South East Asia Vice President, Kimmy Coseteng-Flaviano. “With their support, we hope to reach more patients and families so that we can continue to provide them with the care that they need.”
In the Philippines, Smile Train has continued to provide comprehensive cleft care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the beginning of the pandemic, March 2020, until April 2021, Smile Train has supported 5,490 cleft surgeries in the Philippines. In addition, Smile Train recently bagged recognitions from peers in the communications industry from the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP); Silver Anvil Award and in the Asia-Pacific (Gold) Stevie Awards 2022 with the launch of the country’s first Filipino mobile Smile Train Speech App and the Virtual Telehealth Program.
To know more about Smile Train’s global efforts and to donate, please visit smiletrain.org. To learn more about Smile Train’s local programs in the Philippines and to refer a patient in need, please visit smiletrain.ph/get-help. Follow Smile Train Philippines on Instagram @SmileTrainPh, and like us on Facebook at @SmileTrainPhilippines.
