Mga batang queens na patok ngayon sa social media
Mahalaga pa nga ba ang beauty pageants ngayong pandemya? Naitanong ko na ito sa inyo noong Mayo nang lumaban ang ating pambatong si Rabiya Mateo sa Florida para sa Miss Universe crown. Sa tulong ng aking mga guest noon na sina Miss Universe 1969 Gloria Diaz at Miss Kumu Global Pageant organizer/ Miss World 2003 Top 5 finisher Mafae Yunon-Belasco, naisip kong malaking bagay pa rin ang mga platapormang ito para masimulan ang mga diskurso ukol sa iba’t ibang mga adbokasiya at paksa.
Unti-unti na ring tumatawid ang mga pageant sa pulitika, lalo na’t inaasahang may opinyon lagi ang mga beauty queen sa mga isyung panlipunan. Gaya na lang nina past Miss Universe queens Pia Wurtzbach at Catriona Gray na walang takot na inilalabas sa media ang kani-kanilang mga paniniwala sa mga isyu.
Sa paparating na Miss Universe Philippines at Miss World Philippines, muli nating makikilala ang mga reynang magpapabilib sa atin sa kanilang angking ganda, galing, talento, at tapang.
Nakapanayam ko ang ilan sa aming “Pamilya Talk” episode. Kilalanin natin sila!
Ganiel Krishnan, Miss World Philippines - Cavite
Kilala natin ang 27 taong gulang na si Ganiel bilang isang maganda at magaling na entertainment reporter sa TV Patrol. Ngunit alam nyo bang hindi sa news nagsimula ang career ng Kendall Jenner look-a-like na ito? May lahing Indian-Singaporean-Filipino si Ganiel na nagsimula munang modelo at aktres sa ilalim ng Star Magic. Nagsimulang umusbong ang career niya noong nag-UAAP courtside reporter siya para sa Far Eastern University, kung saan naman sya nakapagtapos ng mass communication.
Hindi na bago si Ganiel sa pageantry na humingi ng leave of absence sa kanyang trabaho sa ABS-CBN News para sa kumpetisyon. Natanghal na syang Miss Asia-Pacific International second runner-up noong 2016 bago pa man sumali sa Miss World PH ngayong taon.
Dalawang taon na ang nakararaan nang itinayo ni Ganiel ang @People.IMet, isang social media account kung saan nya sinasalaysay ang mga karaniwang taong nakakasalamuha niya sa trabaho. Mula mangingisda hanggang sa nagbebenta ng sampaguita sa kalye, nakakaantig ang mga kwentong itinala ni Ganiel sa kanyang personal na plataporma.
“It’s deeply rooted with what I do as a journalist, and it’s about telling stories about people I meet. Iba’t-ibang tao, different walks of life. I just tell their stories in the hopes of alleviating their life situation,” paliwanag ni Ganiel.
“Medyo mahirap gawin yung @People.IMet before for me. Then, noong nasa TV Patrol na ako, naturuan ako na, ‘Okay, I have to write stories na makaka-touch sa lives ng people, or the person reading it.”
Kaya naman lubos ang paniniwala ni Ganiel sa mga pageant at sa kakayahan nitong ipalaganap ang mga adbokasiyang gaya ng kanya.
“Beauty pageants are not just about strutting your beautiful body or beautiful face—it’s more than that. It’s more than the physical appearance. Actually, when we talk about beauty pageants, it’s being able to speak out or speak about yourself regarding the platforms or advocacies you are really fighting for,” sabi ni Ganiel.
“I think sobrang kailangan yan especially during this time of the pandemic. There’s a lot of uncertainties happening right now and I think we should just somehow shed hope and light to people.”
Corrine Abalos, Miss Universe Philippines – Mandaluyong
Bagong bago naman sa pageant scene ang 23-taong-gulang na si Corrine. Anak sya ni incumbent Mandaluyong Mayor Menchie Abalos, na isa ring Binibining Pilipinas candidate noong araw.
Bagama’t baguhan, naging maingay na ang pangalan ni Corrine. Noong Agosto, siya ang naging laman ng post ng Queen of All Media na si Kris Aquino—na siya namang nagdeklara ng suporta sa dalaga dahil umano sa lalim ng relasyon ng kanilang mga pamilya. Kapangalan din kasi ni Corrine ang nanay ni Kris na si dating pangulong Corazon Aquino!
“Honestly, sobrang nakakakilig si Miss Kris Aquino,” kwento ni Corrine sa episode. “She’s a very big personality in Philippine show business. Being seen by her is really validating kasi first time ko in pageantry and para makita nila na gumagaling ako or to see my performance makes me feel na what I’m doing is correct or I’m on the right track.”
Graduate ng kursong International Studies mula sa De La Salle University si Corrine. Ngayon lang daw sya nasasanay sa buhay celebrity. Kahit mahiyain noon, nagkaroon daw siya ngayon ng confidence at tiwala sa kanyang sarili na napakahalaga, lalo na para sa pagpapalaganap ng kanyang pangunahing adbokasiya na scoliosis awareness.
“It’s very dear to my heart kasi ako mismo may scoliosis,” sambit nya.
“Growing up, sobrang I was really insecure of my body kasi I had a hump in my back and my spine wasn’t straight, you would see it. I just wanna raise (awareness) about it and also to boost the confidence of the youth kasi I know alam ko how it can be like to have scoliosis and feel bad about your bump.”
Ayn Bernos, Miss Universe Philippines - San Juan City
Isa rin sa mga naging maingay na kandidata sa MUP ang TikTok content creator, writer, at entrepreneur na si Ayn. Kahit nasa 5’3” lamang, triple threat ngang maituturing ang dalaga. Inaasahan na ngang siya ang magwawagayway ng bandera ng mga babaeng hindi masyadong katangkaran, pero may potensyal pa ring maging beauty queen!
Nakapagtapos ng kursong English Language Studies mula sa University of Santo Tomas si Ayn. Halatang halata naman ang likas na dunong ng 26-year-old sa aming panayam sa kanya.
Nauna nyang binigyang-diin kung bakit naging makasaysayan ang pagtanggal ng height requirement sa isang prestihiyosong kumpetisyon gaya ng MUP.
“I really think that it’s a step forward—this is gonna be the start of maybe a revolution in the pageant industry or beauty standards in general. We’re seeing more and more women embrace themselves … even with the selection process, nobody asked me about my waistline, or kung ano yung itsura ko, or stuff like that," ani Ayn.
“I feel like we were able to highlight what really mattered, and that was who we are, our identities. I think that reflects din the values of the next generation—na we care still about beauty, but beauty that’s more welcoming and that’s more inclusive, and it represents a lot more kinds of Filipinos. It’s no longer one kind of Filipino, but the diversity of us, and I think that’s beautiful. I can’t wait to see the next batches, to see sino ba ang bagong trailblazers at ano pa ang bago nating makikita.”
Isa ring maituturing na mental wellness advocate si Ayn lalo na’t uso ngayon ang mental health issues sa mga kabataang tulad niya na laging online.
“People would go as far as emailing me edited photos of me na basag-basag yung ngipin ko. I even received medyo threat-level na sila. Maybe (Dahil sa) height ko, partly. Kasi I think that’s one of the most obvious things, but other than that, just the general, ‘You’re not pretty enough,’” kwento ni Ayn.
“Pero honestly, hindi na kasi ako naaapektuhan masyado. I understand na this is gonna be the general opinion. But I’m also happy that throughout the different challenges, I was able to slowly prove myself one by one. Slowly but surely, I’m able to prove na I also belong here. And I think now that I have done that, I’m affected a lot less. As in I’m enjoying the experience na lang at this point."
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