Cebuana beauty queen Gabriella Mai “Gabbi” Carballo is calling for clearer disclosures from Miss Eco International organizers following her participation in the 11th edition of the pageant held in Alexandria, Egypt, where she placed in the Top 21.
In a candid post-pageant interview, Carballo raised concerns over what she described as unclear and inconsistent financial arrangements involving candidate fees, refunds, and ticketing during the competition. She said her appeal was not driven by personal grievance but by a need for clarity for future participants.
“I’m kind of here asking for transparency, I guess, as to what is the reality of what happened,” she said. “Are we just all misunderstanding it and not truly getting what had happened?”
Carballo said she experienced three main issues during the pageant, beginning with a $100 charge per person, including companions, for a scheduled visit to the pyramids. She noted she was spared additional costs after her makeup artist had not yet arrived.
She also cited a $200 refundable insurance deposit collected from each candidate and companion, saying she has not yet received her refund. According to her, some delegates have also reported incomplete reimbursements.
“There have been other girls as well who have not yet received” theirs, she said.
The third concern involved ticketing for the finals. Carballo said she was initially told that tickets for her mother and fiancé would cost $50 each, but upon arrival, no tickets were issued, while other relatives of candidates were allowed entry without payment.
“I’m owed $400 because of my companion and for myself,” she said. “That’s the area that I felt a little bit off about.”
Carballo stressed that she would have accepted fees if they had been clearly communicated in advance, but said the lack of consistency created confusion among candidates.
“It’s okay if we’re made to pay $100 if we knew ahead of time that we would have to pay to go to the beautiful pyramids,” she said.
She added that she was not the only one raising concerns, noting that other organizations linked to the pageant have also issued statements regarding the event, although she did not go into detail.
Carballo said she is withholding additional accounts shared by other candidates who are not yet ready to speak publicly.
In addressing broader perceptions about the competition results, including her Top 21 finish despite winning Evening Wear Top Model and sharing a Best in Talent award, Carballo said she did not personally witness any irregularities.
“I have no personal experience seeing anything on my own,” she said, while acknowledging that others had raised concerns.
She maintained that the experience, despite its challenges, does not diminish her pride in representing the Philippines.
“Whatever you guys choose to pursue, when you get it, however far you get, that you know that you did it with the best intentions at heart,” she said.
Carballo, a 27-year-old medical doctor from Cebu, has previously held the titles Miss Mandaue 2018 and Miss Cebu 2022, and placed Top 6 in Miss Universe Philippines 2025.
She was among the frontrunners in Miss Eco International 2026, but the crown ultimately went to Mexico’s Palmira Ruiz.
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