A post shared by MARIEL DE LEON (@mariaangelicadl) on Jan 16, 2018 at 2:27am PST

MANILA – In a few days, Mariel de Leon will pass on her Binibining Pilipinas International crown.

The daughter of actors Christopher de Leon and Sandy Andolong is happy with the lineup for Bb. Pilipinas 2018, which will be held on March 18 at the Araneta Coliseum.

While she acknowledges that the more popular candidates are strong contenders, De Leon said she prefers rooting for the “dark horse.”

“I like a good underdog. Ayoko ‘yung pinaka-popular… I like the dark horse, as they say,” she said in an interview with the entertainment website Pep.

When asked about her favorites, she replied: “I like Sandra Lemonon, candidate No. 35 yata.”

“Tapos ‘yung No. 21… I don’t know her name,” added De Leon, who was referring to Anjame Magbitang. “Kasi true Filipina beauty ‘yung No. 21.”

Here’s a look at De Leon’s bets for Bb. Pilipinas 2018:

A post shared by Binibining Pilipinas (@bbpilipinasofficial) on Mar 1, 2018 at 10:56pm PST

A post shared by Binibining Pilipinas (@bbpilipinasofficial) on Mar 1, 2018 at 10:48pm PST

De Leon joined Bb. Pilipinas twice before getting the chance to represent the Philippines in the Miss International pageant.

She went on to try her hand at showbiz, starring in the Metro Manila Film Festival entry “Ang Panday” with Coco Martin and Kylie Verzosa, who was crowned Miss International in 2016.

“After noong ‘Panday…’ Since I had fun in ‘Panday,’ parang it opened up my mind to try acting more,” De Leon said.