Breadwinner at 19 is a beauty queen five times over

MANILA, Philippines — When Joyce Penas-Pilarsky became a breadwinner at 19, after her lawyer-father passed away, she did not envy her more carefree friends. She grabbed the chance to learn more, get wiser, and earn for her family.

She became a commercial model and worked as a flight attendant. 

“I am where I am now because of hard work,” she says with pride. “When everybody had a good time, I worked and studied from morning until night.”

Her positive outlook saw her through those struggling years when she brought food to the table and sent her younger siblings to school.

“I always pray to God. He provides me with all my needs. As long as we do the best we can, as long as we work, we’ll never be hungry,” she points out.

The innately artistic Joyce, who loved to draw and design as a child, earned more by selling her paintings to multi-racial passengers she met on the plane.

Her faith and good heart eventually bore fruit. She accumulated properties.

Her pleasant personality and good looks attracted German national Gunter Pilarsky. They got married, and Joyce now shuttles from Germany to Manila and back.

Thanks to her supportive husband, Joyce can continue growing by doing what makes her happy.

Since she loves to design clothes and fashion accessories, Joyce continued to improve her craft, until she won international awards for it.

She placed second in the Apparel Category Competition of the Royalty Collections project in Los Angeles, where she competed with over 1,000 entries from 52 countries around the world. Because of this, Joyce’s design graced the pages of International Design Awards’ “Book of Design.”

Two years ago, Joyce emerged Grand Champion at the Los Angeles Fashion Week Design Competition. Her design got rave reviews, and was featured in magazines from the Philippines, the US, United Kingdom, France and Germany.

She was tagged “Queen of Philippine Eco-Culture” for wearing her creations that celebrate the beauty of nature and Filipino fabrics.

Joyce will be doing the same thing as Queen Helena at the Santacruzan of Sta Rita de Cascia Parish’s 60th anniversary on Sunday, May 28, at Philam Homes, Quezon City. 

The Santacruzan is the culmination of a celebration organized by Rev. Msgr. Daniel Sta. Maria and his group starting  May 14.

Joyce will wear her creation, a gown with a long canvas studded with beads and flora appliques. Joyce describes the gown as a labor of love, because she started working on it five month ago.

She started hand-painting the details, like small flowers, before embroidering them. She worked 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. until she can no longer move her hand (she rested for three days before she regained full use of her hand).

Joyce painted with nature’s colors - green dominating her handiwork.

Months from now, this winner of five beauty titles (Mrs. Philippines Germany 2000, Mrs. Philippines for Mrs. Asia International 2014, Mrs. Asia International 2014, Mrs.Asia International Global 2014 and Mrs. Ecotourism 2014) aims to bring home another international crown. She will compete with over 80 beauty queen mothers the world over in the Mrs. Universe South Asia 2017 pageant in Durban, South Africa from August 26 to September 3.

This time, Joyce will wear a simple national costume with a Filipiniana bodice that will showcase the richness of local materials. “It’s my chance to show Filipino material to the world!” she gushes.

Soon, Joyce will fulfill another dream – starring in a movie and doing a play for Repertory Philippines’ 50th anniversary.

To think it all started because she had one dream – making sure her family is taken cared of at a time when the breadwinner passed away.

That is what good karma is all about.