Beauty of Davao Mj Lastimosa

CEBU, Philippines - The country still on an inaugural high two days after its 16th President and Davao City’s most famous son took his oath, Mutya ng Dabaw (Miss Davao) 2008 titleholder Mary Jean “MJ” Lastimosa – who would go on to win Miss Universe Philippines 2014 in her third and final eligible attempt and represented Filipinos in the Miss Universe 2014 pageant where she finished among the Top 10 – recalls her days working closely with the then-mayor and shares her experience as a long-time resident of a city governed by the now-famous iron fist.

 MJ, born to a Saudi Arabian father and a Filipino mother, finished Computer Engineering at the University of Mindanao and called Davao home for almost a decade. The 28-year-old also owns a fitness/spa/slimming center in Davao.

 In Cebu recently for the launch of the latest offering from mobile broadband SmartBro called the SmartBro 888 along with her fellow SmartBro endorser Michael Pangilinan (the voice behind the hit song “Pare Mahal Mo Raw Ako”), MJ dished out on her online habits, beauty queen days, hopes for a flourishing showbiz career, and why she’s betting her life President Duterte will deliver.

 What’s the longest you can survive without Internet access?

Ten hours long during international flights. On-air wifis are available but expensive for me. I do almost everything on my mobile device using my Smart Bro 4G Pocket WiFi connection, from work emails, to reading, to watching sports. It’s like everything in one small device. I can’t survive without it anymore.

What websites do you check on a daily basis?

Instagram because I love pictures! There are beautiful stories in every picture.

Have you posted things you later on regretted?

No, but I had posted some group shots that my friends didn’t like so I had to take them down. We all have to be pretty in one picture so sometimes I ask for their approval before posting it.

 Are there social media habits by other netizens that annoy you?

I respect other users’ habits. I think I have my annoying habits too. If I don’t like what I see I can always scroll up and down. No need to get annoyed.

As a public personality, are there online rules you’ve imposed on yourself?

As much as I could, I only post work, travel or informative and inspiring posts. I limit the crazy stuff.

Hollywood star Cameron Diaz once said in an interview that she quit social media because of the culture of ‘seeking validation from a bunch of strangers.’ Thoughts?

It’s true, sometimes people are too concerned with the amount of likes they get or followers they have. Social media should be fun and interactive. It doesn’t have to be a competition of who has a better life and definitely no need to seek validation from others.

What online comments do you usually consider below the belt or those that provoke you to retaliate?

I can’t remember one specific comment, but I received a lot of bashing and bad comments in a short span during my pageant days. But I never retaliate. I delete below the belt comments. I forget about it when I don’t see it anymore. I think some online users are not conscious with the kind of words they use nowadays. It’s just so easy to bash other people because you don’t have to say it to their face.

What do you think of the recent trend of taking photos of good-looking yet underprivileged (Carrot Man, Badjao Girl, etc) citizens and making these viral, in turn, making said citizens suddenly famous?

It’s good because we give privilege to people outside the city. They are not only good-looking, but their stories are beautiful as well. I think more than how they look, it is the inspiration that we get after learning about their stories.

Tips on being a responsible netizen.

We should always be sensitive netizens. Quite often we forget to respect others. When you are a sincerely nice person, it radiates. It makes you more beautiful and it doesn’t cost a thing.

You most recently co-hosted the ABS-CBN game show ‘Game ng Bayan.’ Any other showbiz-related projects in the pipeline?

We are working on a new travel/community vlog type of show with other beauty queens which will be airing soon.

You’ve played yourself in ‘Maalala Mo Kaya.’ Is a full-fledged acting or hosting career one of your goals?

I really want to do both hosting and acting. Hopefully I improve my skills and become better.

As a beauty queen, do you also have days where you go out without full-on makeup and a put-together outfit, or do you always have to be camera-ready?

I only go with full-on makeup when I have to work. On my free days, I stay home and free my skin from makeup. It’s a nice feeling to be laidback sometimes.

Now that your beauty pageant competition years are over, is there something about those days that you particularly miss?

I miss the pressure of the competition, knowing that there’s a deadline (pageant night) and you work harder and harder towards it. It’s fulfilling when that night finally happens and you can confidently share to the whole world what you’ve been training for.

If a young Filipina aspiring to be a Binibini winner would come up to you and ask for insight, what would you tell her?

To never copy your beauty queen idol. Every beauty queen has their own signature identity and you can only succeed if you can be your own woman. Be inspired but do not copy. It’s also easier to be yourself than to imitate others.

As someone who hails from Mindanao and is a long-time Davao resident, what are your thoughts that Davao has suddenly become the country’s seat of power and is also attracting more tourists and foreign investors because of Duterte’s popularity?

I have so much respect and trust in him. I experienced his governance and I am sure that he can deliver. I hope Filipinos will cooperate under his leadership. I am happy that not only Davao, but the whole of Mindanao is finally getting the attention it deserves. We have so much to offer and hopefully, this popularity could lead to something good for Mindanao, such as its urbanization.

For the benefit of non-Davao residents or those who have yet to visit the city, can you describe from your experience how it is to live there?

I was born in Manila and was then transferred to Tulunan, North Cotabato to study mid- school. I lived for eight years in the Davao City proper, so I can clearly compare safety in the three areas, although Cotabato is improving now. It’s just different to be an independent woman who lives on her own and not fear for your daily safety, that you can walk not worrying about your bag or your phone, that people around you respect the same regulations that you follow. It is just overwhelming to live in a well-disciplined environment.

What is your take on Duterte’s statements on journalists, the catcalling incident, his cursing habits?

It never bothered me. I hear people curse every day – may he be a regular employee, a famous personality, a respected boss. Cursing just became an expression around me. Today,  more than the cursing issue, I am seeking for real leadership. Millions of Filipinos have been promised change over the years but nothing really happened. If our leader can address corruption and drugs that are causing crime and poverty, then that’s all that matters to me. We have more problems to worry about than what they say are his ‘unpresidentiable’ manners.

Any anecdotes about your personal interactions with the newly inaugurated president?

He was very supportive during my Binibining Pilipinas stint. The Davao government, as well as North Cotabato, assisted me during my preparations. The help that I got from both provinces lead me to not give up and finally claim the Miss Universe Philippines crown. Mayor Duterte is very serious even when he jokes. He is still serious-looking that sometimes I am not sure if he is joking. But how he handles his people is what I admire the most. We are all the same; no one is above anybody and we were all treated the same in his office.

As a former Miss Davao, what was your reign like and how did Duterte support the pageant as well as your projects?

The new format of Miss Davao was applied during my year. In alignment with the Women’s Code, we skipped the swimsuit competition to make way for an advocacy project segment where we presented our community project that will be implemented if we win. The advocacy project had to be doable for a whole year reign and can be implemented under a certain budget. It was really challenging but at the same time, it opened my eyes to the things I can do for my community, may it be small things – things that I carried with me even after my reign.

Having grown up in war-torn Northern Cotabato and witnessing violence right in front of you, are you in favor of Duterte’s stance on ending the Mindanao conflict through federalism, his plans to revive death penalty, putting bounties on drug lords, etc?

I think people need to listen more and be familiar with the new kind of leadership that Duterte is suggesting before they react. In Davao, we just don’t kill people. There’s lesser crime because you know you can’t buy justice. Punishment was given to those who needed to be punished. Today, I saw in the news a report about a woman who was commuting late at night and got robbed and raped. That just breaks my heart. Now, who is heartless? The criminals, or Duterte who is just trying to protect the innocent?

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