Sharifa Akeel
Sharifa Mangatong Areef Mohammad Omar Akeel or Sharifa Akeel is a Filipino model who was crowned Miss Asia Pacific International 2018. Previously, she was crowned Mutya ng Pilipinas 2018.
In the 2022 and 2025 elections, she ran for governor of Sultan Kudarat, losing both times to Pax Ali Mangudadatu.
Early life
Akeel was born in Lebak, Sultan Kudarat. She has a mixed blood of Qatari and Filipino. She holds a degree of Bachelor in Elementary Education from the Notre Dame of Salaman College, where she also played softball, and formerly worked as Human Relations Officer at the Congressional office of the Province of Sultan Kudarat.
Pageantry
Akeel was selected as one of the fifty candidates of the Mutya ng Pilipinas 2018. She was crowned as Mutya ng Pilipinas – Asia Pacific International 2018 on September 16 at 7:00 p.m. at SM Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay and represented the country on Miss Asia Pacific International 2018.
Akeel competed at the Miss Asia Pacific International 2018 pageant held at the Newport Performing Arts Theater at Pasay. At the end of the pageant, she was crowned as the winner by the outgoing titleholder, Francielly Ouriques of Brazil. She is the fifth Filipina to be crowned Miss Asia Pacific International.
Political career
She ran for governor of Sultan Kudarat in the 2022 elections under the Aksyon Demokratiko banner. She was handedly defeated by her sole opponent, incumbent Datu Abdullah Sangki Mayor Pax Ali Mangudadatu, whose candidacy was cancelled, but was allowed to run via a temporary restraining order from the Supreme Court. During the campaign, she supported the presidential campaign of the then-Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, before eventually supporting the campaign of then-Vice President Leni Robredo.
Personal life
On August 25, 2021, Akeel married Esmael Mangudadatu. A native speaker of Maguindanao language, she also speaks Tagalog, Cebuano, Hiligaynon and English.