Pia Wurtzbach on Maureen Wroblewitz's winning AsNTM photo: Sensual but not offensive

MANILA, Philippines — Maureen Wroblewitz looked up to fellow Filipina-German model, Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach, for inspiration to become the first Filipina to win “Asia’s Next Top Model" (AsNTM).

“I didn’t see that because she’s a Filipina, she’ll be rooting for me,” Wroblewitz said when asked by Philstar.com if she thinks she got the upperhand in the contest because Pia was there.

Just as Pia ended the Philippines' Miss Universe drought, so did Maureen at AsNTM.

“She (Pia) wasn’t biased at all. She was being really fair. I really didn’t feel that because she’s in the competition, I already have the chance to win. I was just happy that she was there because I was looking up to her and I’m still looking up to her. That’s something that just happened to be part of the competition.”

Pia praised Wroblewitz's final photo as “sensual but not offensive.”

The final photo shoot challenge, “Homeland,” asked for the finalists to portray their country’s traditional garb with pride and strength. What went on in Maureen’s head while she was doing the shoot?

“I was really keen to show this strong, powerful Filipina. My mom would always tell me about Filipino culture that we’re proud as Filipinas and I’m really proud to be a Filipina. Even if it’s just half, I’m really very proud to be a Filipina!” she told Philstar.com.

She wore a traditional outfit as a pearl princess and though the pearls were dragging her down, she gave her all for the final shot. What she cannot bear to put her down, she said, is Filipinos’ crab mentality, as she experienced from a fellow Filipina in the competition.

“If you feel good about other people feeling bad, you shouldn’t do those things to others if you don’t want those things to happen to you,” Maureen urged.

She cannot accept how a fellow Filipina’s crab mentality has almost made her give up.

“At first, I didn’t understand because I was always welcoming of the idea of Filipinas supporting each other. On the other hand, if you just forget us that we’re Filipinas, but rather, we’re in a competition, maybe she felt threatened by me, and maybe all the competitiveness comes out during a competition and she maybe got that to pull me down or maybe make me feel like I don’t want to be in this competition anymore.”

Fortunately, there are other Filipinas, like Pia, who is proud of what Maureen has achieved.

Pia said she likes Maureen’s subtle movements that made her standout in the final runway show.

After the contest, Maureen’s plan is visit a favorite travel destination, Palawan.

“Actually, I want to explore the Philippines, the whole country!” she shared.

“And I really like palabok and my favorite celebrity, I would say, is Maja Salvador!” said the 18-year-old, proving that though half German like Pia, she is a Filipino in every way.