10 Things to Know about Katrina Dimaranan

Katrina Dimaranan is a Filipino-American model, actress, television personality, and beauty pageant titleholder who was appointed as Miss Supranatural 2018. You might also recognize her on CBS’ Love Island reality show. From the stages of pageantry to the screens of reality television, Katrina is no stranger to the spotlight. Whether she's walking pageant stages, working in front of cameras, or putting her nursing skills to use, she gives everything that she does her all and makes it a point to stay true to who she is. Though there are countless things to learn about Katrina, we’ve put together a few fun facts for you to get to know this fearless Filipina a little better. 

1. She moved to the Philippines right after high school.

Fresh out of high school in the United States, Katrina made the decision to take some time off before college and take care of her Lola in the Philippines. Initially, she had barely the slightest idea of what pageantry was. It wasn’t until she was approached by someone as she was signing with a modeling agency that she was made aware of the prestigious Bb. Pilipinas (Miss Philippines) pageant. Little did she know that her trip to the Philippines would be far more fruitful than she could ever imagine. 

2. She was the youngest to compete in her Bb. Pilipinas batch.

After much thought, consideration and encouragement from her mother, Katrina set on to compete in the Bb. Pilipinas 2012 pageant. At only 18 years old, she was the youngest of her pageant sisters. Katrina competed against lawyers, models, actresses, doctors, and girls from all walks of life. The pressure of not being as accomplished and experienced as the others discouraged her at times, but that didn’t stop her from going after the crown. She found strength in the love and support from others who listened to her share the story of her upbringing, which took place on a guesting for a local television show. The words of support that she received helped boost her self esteem and confidence. She ultimately walked out of the competition with the Miss Talent award and the Bb. Pilipinas Tourism 2012 title. 

3. She starred in TFC’s The People’s Queen.

Katrina was one of 5 women invited to star in The People’s Queen, an elite beauty boot camp run by Cece Asuncion and Voltaire Tayag, as seen on TFC The Filipino Channel.  In the 8 episodes of the show, Katrina and her fellow queens were mentored by industry experts who helped elevate their pageant skills. While they were tested multiple times, Katrina continuously put her best foot forward and kept her eyes on the prize.

4. She represented the United States in the Miss Supranational 2018 pageant.

After her stint on The People's Queen, Katrina honed all that she learned into pursuing the Miss Supranational USA pageant. After starting the initial process of joining the pageant, the organization decided to appoint her as the USA’s representative to the Miss Supranational 2018 pageant. Katrina was sent to Poland, where she competed alongside empowered women from across the globe. In the end, she brought pride to the country as one of the last girls standing. Katrina placed 1st runner up, and also bagged the Best Body Figure award. 

5. She joined Love Island USA Season 1,

For a Filipina, who is well aware of the conservative ways of the Philippines, going into the hit reality tv show Love Island was no easy feat. As she went into the casting, Katrina had no idea what to think of it. However, fresh off her pageant victory, she rode her confidence and decided to continue on her journey as a reality tv star. Katrina’s entry in the competition was a shock to many, as she was not one of the original cast members from episode one. Instead, she entered the show on Day 7, as a late entrant. Throughout the competition, she made it a point to have fun. Unlike many others that venture into reality tv, Katrina stayed true to herself the entire time and won the hearts of fellow-islanders and viewers alike.

6. She was a host for TFC’s Adobo Nation.

Katrina joined TFC’s (The Filipino Channel) Adobo Nation in 2016 as a host, alongside fellow beauty queen Ginger Conejero Saab. Here, she interviewed Filipino game changers from all walks of life, putting the spotlight on them and their respective crafts. They covered a mix of news, lifestyle, food and more of Filipinos in North America.

7. She made a pageant comeback in Miss Universe Philippines 2021.

On July 18, 2021, Katrina announced that she was giving her dreams another shot. Despite years of being out of the pageant spotlight, Katrina made her highly anticipated return to the scene in the Miss Universe Philippines 2021 competition. Of all of the editions of the pageant, her batch was one of the toughest ones yet. Throughout the duration of the pageant, she was consistent and held her head high. Katrina put her wit, determination, and experience to work and ultimately won the Miss Universe Philippines Tourism 2021 crown. 

8. She starred in 𝗟𝘂𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗮 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲.

On September 30, 2022, Lumpia with a Vengeance was released in theaters. In the movie, Katrina played the role of the villain, Jemini. After 9 years in production, the action-comedy film premiered at the Hawaii International Film Festival and won the audience award. In addition to this, the movie made history as it was the first Asian-American film to premiere at San Diego Comic Con. 

9. She is currently studying nursing.

Katrina is in nursing school and is set to complete her studies by the end of 2023. She currently is taking up aesthetic nursing and is learning to work with fillers, botox, iv drips, and more. Katrina aims to put her learnings to use one day and open up a med spa of her own. 

10. She was recognized and retweeted by Cardi B.

Just a little over a week after the Miss Universe Philippines 2021 competition had ended, Katrina posted a jaw-dropping video of herself in a stunning red dress as she displayed her walk to Cardi B’s song “I Like It” playing in the background. The tweet gained global traction after it was seen and retweeted by none other than Cardi B herself! Since this, Katrina’s tweet has gotten over 100,000 views. 

---

Written By Nico Belasco

Photographer, Writer, Speaker, Podcast Host, Creative

---