Miss World 2011 is going to be exciting for the pageant-fanatic Filipinos. It is because among the 113 candidates of this year's pageant, three of them have Filipino blood, increasing the chance of a Pinay beauty to finally earn the most elusive international beauty title for the Philippines. They are Miss Philippines Gwendoline Ruais, Miss Canada Riza Santos and Miss Denmark Maya Olesen.

Gwendoline Ruais

In an interview with ABS-CBN, Business Management graduate Ruais, 21, said that it will be a great honor for her to be crowned the first Miss World winner from the Philippines. She added that she is feeling the pressure but she is taking it in a good way.

Riza Santos

Twenty-four-year-old Filipina-Canadian Santos, who was a former "Pinoy Big Brother" housemate, meanwhile, told ABS-CBN that she is "honored to be representing Canada and come from a Filipino background."

Maya Olesen

In her ABS-CBN interview, Filipina Danish Olesen, 20, said she is proud to be representing both her Filipino roots and Denmark.

The Philippines' highest placement in Miss World was Evangeline Pascual’s first runner-up finish in 1973. Actress Ruffa Gutierrez was hailed Second Princess in 1993.

The Miss World 2011 will be held at Earls Court Two on November 6, 2011 (UK Time) in London, England. It will be aired on GMA-7 starting at 10:00 a.m. on November 7.

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Riza Santos, the former Pinoy Big Brother housemate, was crowned as Miss World Canada 2011 at the River Rock Show Theater in Richmond, Canada. The 24 year-old Filipino-Canadian beauty will be representing Canada in the Miss World 2011 beauty pageant which will be held in London on November 8.

Riza Santos previously competed in Miss Earth held in the Philippines in 2006 where she bagged the Miss Photogenic and Miss Fontana awards.

Santos became more popular to Filipinos when she joined the Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Edition 2. After her second place win in the reality show, she appeared on a number of TV shows and movies in the country. She was also linked to singer Mark Bautista.