Dayanara Martínez is Miss Mundo de Puerto Rico 2018

THE REPRESENTATIVE of Canóvanas, Dayanara Martínez, is the new Miss Mundo de Puerto Rico.

The 24-year-old singer, who was named by her parents after Miss Universe 1993 Dayanara Torres, will represent her island nation at the 2018 Miss World pageant.

“I worked hard to achieve the title and thank God that I was given all the opportunities and I could get there,” said Martínez in an interview with El Nuevo Dia.

Martínez holds a biology degree from Syracuse University in New York and a masters in healh programs at the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus in Río Piedras.

Miss Trujillo Alto Mónica Serrano placed first runner-up, while Miss Ponce Yarelis Salgado was second runner-up. A total of 20 beauties competed during the finals held Wednesday, January 17 at the Teatro Raúl Juliá of Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico.

After Stephanie del Valle won the crown in 2016, Puerto Rico skipped the 2017 Miss World pageant. This, after the Miss Mundo Puerto Rico pageant was postponed twice last year due to the devastation caused by two hurricanes in the country. Missosology.Org; Photos by Photographika Studio