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I was born on September 12th 1997 and raised in British Columbia, Canada. I am a compassionate and well-rounded individual. Being half-Filipino Canadian, I have always been intrigued by diversity. I am a passionate individual, especially when it comes to animal welfare, mental health, and self-esteem. Being a vegetarian of over four years and an animal advocate, I aspire to build an animal sanctuary and travel abroad to help animals in need. My interests and hobbies include fashion design, illustrating, reading, cooking, exercising, and playing soccer.
Pageants, Awards and Titles:
Miss Teen Philippines of the World 2014: (title holder)
- Most Photogenic
- Best Interview
- Top 3 Talent
Miss Teen Universe 2015:
- Miss Congeniality Award
Miss Calendar Girl 2015: (title holder)
- Most Creative Outfit
- Miss Bikini Beautiful
- Best in Long Dress
- Miss Photogenic
Miss Teenage British Columbia:
- Miss Teenage Maple Ridge 2016 (title holder)
Binibining Pilipinas of the World 2017:
- Binibining Pilipinas of the World-Canada (title holder)
- Best in Swimwear
Experiences in Pageants and Lessons Learned:
The first pageant I joined was in 2014 for Miss Teen Philippines of the World in Edmonton, Alberta for the IPEN organization based in Toronto. I was recommended by a family friend to the organizer who said I had the potential to compete. At that time, I didn’t see the potential in myself but decided to compete in it anyways. I wanted to make my mom proud by stepping out of my comfort zone by competing in a beauty pageant but also, I didn’t want to miss an opportunity that I would probably regret if not doing so. After I made the decision to compete, I made sure to educate myself with pageant principles, studied pageant questions and worked on my walk, speech and posture. Growing up, I struggled with low self esteemed which was the product of bullying. I wasn’t confident in myself, especially at that point in my life where I was faced with many struggles. Even though I had practice hard for the competition, and had the support of many people who had faith in me, I never believed that I would actually be crowned the title holder. I was crowned Miss Teen Philippines of the World and was awarded Miss Photogenic, Best in Interview, and placed Top 3 in Talent. Competing in this pageant, I got to learn more about myself.
Looking back now, who I am today is from taking my first step out of my comfort zone and competing in pageants. Slowly, I began to discover, love and respect myself from that point on.
This title led me to representing the Philippines in the Teen Universe 2014 pageant competition. It was overwhelming knowing that I would be competing against talented, beautiful and smart young individuals. The pressure was also a great amount because I was representing the people of the Philippines, I didn’t want to let anyone down. I wanted to make people proud but seeing the girls I was competing against and the confidence that they had…I was easily dejected. Although, I was thankful to have my mom and kuya at my side. They were my cheerleaders throughout the competition and lifted my spirits up when it was low. But it wasn’t just them, I had friends, family, acquaintances, strangers, people from across the globe supporting me and cheering me on. In the Teen Universe competition I did not place. Although, I was awarded Miss Congeniality which I am very proud of.
I jumped right into this pageant thinking I knew what to expect but in reality I didn’t. The eyes of not only friends and family were on me but people from across the globe were watching too. There were people who tried to put me down and bashed me on social media because they thought not much of me in this competition. But, there were more people who believed in me, cheered and stood by me regardless of the results. It made me realize that hard work will always be recognized by those who support you and that I should always have faith in myself.
The next pageant I competed in was Miss Calendar Girl 2015. It was a pageant created by the Luzvimin-Bisaya Association of BC. This was a Miss competition and I was one of the youngest girls competing in it. I was a little intimidated at the beginning of the idea of competing in my first “Miss” competition but It was an opportunity I didn’t want to miss for such a reason. I had to bring out the inner MISS in me and compete with poise, grace, and maturity. Throughout the pageant I became friends with every single delegate and everyone was so supportive of each other. I was crowned Miss Calendar Girl and awarded; Most Creative Outfit, Miss Bikini Beautiful, Best in Long Dress and Miss Photogenic. I know for a fact, I felt more confident on stage because I was surrounded by friends.
What I took out of this experience was that pageants are much more than what meets the eye. It’s an unforgettable experience where you can meet incredible people but also develop skills, gain confidence and create memories that will last a lifetime.
The following year, I decided to compete in Miss Teenage British Columbia 2016 which is establish by MTC-W INC. I’ve seen ads for this pageant competition online before and wanted to give it a shot while I was still of age. I was selected as a finalist to compete in Miss Teenage Canada and was crowned Miss Teenage Maple Ridge 2016. During the months that led up to Miss Teenage Canada I became quite involved in the community where I was volunteering and attending events. I also became more active in the Filipino community as well, joining in on festivities as a title holder. I befriended many, gained more supporters and was able to be sponsored by businesses for the upcoming pageant which helped immensely. I did not place in Miss Teenage Canada which was held in Toronto, Ontario but I know that I worked hard, applied the skills I’ve learned through the years and did my best therefore I wasn’t disappointed in myself. I grew as a person from this competition like I did from the ones before.
What I learned from this experience is that being active in the community is important! By volunteering, you are helping others; person or animal, you are helping them achieve a better life and that to me is very rewarding. It can also impact others to do better as well.
Just recently, as of December 3rd 2016 I was crowned Binibining Pilipinas of the World 2017 and awarded best in Swimwear by Binibining Pilipinas of the World Organization held in Toronto, Ontario. After Miss Teenage Canada, I wanted to take a break from pageants. I was inquired to compete for Binibining Pilipinas of the World and when the opportunity arose I had to seize it, even when it was sort of last minute. “Opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you miss them” (-William Arthur Ward). I was given the blessing to compete by my parents and flew to Toronto with my mom. There, I met so many amazing, hospitable and devoted people. I am proud to be able to represent the Philippines once again in the Miss Regal International competition which will be held in Antigua this summer.
As a person, I’ve come along way from who I once was and I thank my family, friends, sponsors and supporters for pushing me to give my best and believing in me. Once again, I will give it my all to represent the Philippines and the hard working, giving, and loving people of it’s nation.
Greatest Influences:
My parents are the greatest influence in my life. My parents are selfless and will do anything to help make their children success. My parents have been my biggest supporters from the start and I am so blessed to have two such inspiring and hard working people in my life. They have helped shape me into the person I am today and I would not be who or where I am today without them.
My biggest role models would be my two Grandma’s my Grandma Joan and Lola Luz. My Grandma Joan passed away three years ago but she still hasn’t left us, I feel her presence every day. My Grandma was a strong woman and refused to take nonsense from nobody. I think that’s a trait that got passed down from her to me is her headstrong attitude. My Lola Luz is a very compassionate and thoughtful woman. Whenever I’m upset my Lola is the first person to take notice and whenever I need someone to talk to she is there to console me. They are both equally impactful women who I have learned and gained so much from.
Photos Credit: Evan Chen Photography
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