MANILA — With an expert twirl to kick off her signature strut, the Philippines’ Samantha Bernardo showcased years of pageant experience Thursday night, during the swimsuit portion of the Miss Grand International preliminary competition.

Bernardo was one of 63 contestants who took part in the live-broadcast prelims leading up to the coronation night in Bangkok, Thailand on March 27, Saturday.

The two-hour prelims unfolded in two parts — the evening gown competition, and then the swimsuit round.

For her turn on stage during the first part, Bernardo opted for a reliable but no less sultry walk to put on display her “Lipad” gown.

• A vision of gold and emerald: Samantha Bernardo wows with ‘Lipad’ gown in Miss Grand International prelims

She was then decidedly more energetic in the second portion, with snappy movements and a more playful gait, at one point even pointing at the camera. (See the 2:11:15 mark of the video below.)

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As the prelims streamed live via YouTube, #GRANDnadaWalk, the coined term for Bernardo’s pasarela, topped the Philippine trends on Twitter, with many Filipino supporters commending the representative’s performance.

Bernardo has so far been a visible candidate in the ongoing pageant. Prior to the prelims, she was No. 1 in the list of candidates with most online votes for the earlier round of the swimsuit competition.

• Samantha Bernardo gets highest votes in Miss Grand International swimsuit competition

The Thursday prelims, which also included a swimsuit component, will determine the top 20 candidates during the finals night.

If Bernardo wins the crown, it would be the first for the Philippines from Miss Grand International.

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Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv

Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv

Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv