00:00 I'm Ezra Araya and this is the Manila Times.
00:04 Miss Universe Philippines kicks off this year's Women's Month with a dashing new roster of
00:09 aspiring candidates.
00:11 In the past years, Miss Universe have made significant stride and have widened the horizons
00:17 for women, accepting contenders regardless if they're married or single or even a parent,
00:24 and more recently accepting contestants of all ages.
00:28 You really cannot confine beauty.
00:30 Talagang higit pa, sa ganda ang dala ng ating Miss Universe Philippines contestants today.
00:38 We have Miss Universe Philippines candidate, Miss Phoebe Ariana Torita of Cananga and Miss
00:45 Anita Rose Gomez of Zambales.
00:49 Welcome to the Manila Times.
00:51 Thank you so much for granting us an interview.
00:53 So let's ask Miss Ariana first, the youngest contestant at 18 years old.
00:59 What made you decide to join Miss Universe Philippines and what advocacy are you?
01:05 So it was actually a very timing moment because when our AP called me, I was already preparing
01:12 for the next Miss Universe Philippines Cananga.
01:15 So it was like, it was what God was preparing me for.
01:19 And my advocacy is to support the local farmers which is very close to my heart because it
01:26 is our bread and butter.
01:31 Thank for that Miss Ariana.
01:32 Parang nasa Miss Universe na talaga tayo.
01:36 And for our next question, for Miss Anita naman, we've all seen the videos and the photos
01:42 ang sikat na 19 inches waistline.
01:46 So the smallest waistline to join the pageant.
01:49 So first of all, is that true Miss Anita?
01:52 My 19 inch waistline now?
01:56 Yes.
01:57 Yeah.
01:58 It's confirmed.
01:59 It's confirmed.
02:00 So how about you Miss Anita?
02:03 What made you join the pageant and what's your advocacy as you join one of the most
02:10 prestigious pageants in the country?
02:14 First of all, it's a very personal reason for me because I really, it's a long life
02:18 dream of mine to join Miss Universe Philippines.
02:20 So it's always a dream to be part of the candidates to represent our country, hopefully
02:25 in the international stage.
02:27 And of course, through this pageant, I know that I would be able to not just uplift myself,
02:32 uplift my life, but also uplift the life of my family and my community because I'm really
02:37 advocating for this project, Para Kayawan Atwana.
02:41 It is a project for accessible education.
02:44 So it actually started way back 2019.
02:47 So I'm doing this project beforehand or before joining pageantry.
02:52 So I'm just thankful that through this platform, I get to be able to tap different sectors,
02:57 especially the non-government organization.
03:00 And of course, the Subic municipality who are very helpful and willing to help this
03:06 community of students in my province who are lacking access to education.
03:12 So this project Para Kayawan Atwana is basically we are providing them the necessities that
03:18 they need for school, such as books, and we are also teaching them.
03:23 And you know what, I am planning to actually expound that project, hopefully in this Miss
03:28 Universe platform to not just help the youth in my community, but also the educators, because
03:34 we know that they are also, you know, having the hard time to give the quality education
03:40 to the community, especially the marginalized sectors, the AITA communities, our kapatid,
03:45 because they're also struggling for the resources.
03:48 So yeah, I'm just looking forward that through this platform, I would be able to like just
03:52 expand and, you know, reach a wider scope of audience to really make this project feasible
03:58 and possible.
04:01 I can feel the passion in the way you explain your advocacy, Miss Anita.
04:06 And that's very timely, especially with the learning poverty in the Philippines, especially
04:11 dipping in the pandemic.
04:12 So I love that.
04:13 And of course, I love your advocacy, Miss Ariana.
04:17 Wow, Philippines pa rin, Miss Ariana.
04:20 So another side questions for your fans out there and Miss Universe Philippines fans.
04:29 So what are you doing to prepare for the pageant?
04:32 For example, you, Miss Ariana.
04:35 Is there a diet restriction?
04:37 Is there more workout?
04:40 What do you do to prepare?
04:46 Recently po, more on Q&A trainings po talaga.
04:53 Isang session po lang ako sa Pasarela and hopefully more soon.
05:02 Very, very smart move to prepare for Q&A, especially if you already have the physical
05:10 attributes.
05:11 How about you, Miss Anita?
05:13 Are there any diets to keep that waistline?
05:18 And I know you're good at Q&A na rin.
05:23 Thank you, Mel.
05:25 Actually, in my case, I am actually preparing holistically.
05:29 So I'm preparing all aspects mentally, physically and emotionally as well.
05:33 Kasi we all know that this journey is not easy talaga.
05:36 So you need to like have the strength, mentality, mental fortitude and also the strength.
05:43 So physically, I'm just training some, you know, to like strengthen my physicality through
05:49 bulking also.
05:50 Kasi I wanted to maintain my waistline at the same time to look, you know, healthy.
05:55 That is why I'm doing some workouts.
05:57 I'm doing some Pasarela training, some Q&A trainings and yeah, just enjoying this journey
06:02 as a whole at the same time being, you know, being honed and being more, you know, learning
06:07 some more experiences and some learnings that I can really use in this pageantry.
06:13 All right.
06:14 So, maiba naman tayo.
06:16 This one goes to both of you.
06:18 Sino sa tingin nyo ang toughest competitor nyo sa Miss UPH?
06:23 Or let me rephrase that even better, which among your fellow contestants inspire you
06:28 the most?
06:29 Honestly po, my toughest competitor is myself.
06:34 It may sound cliche because as you said, maliit lang yung time ko to prepare.
06:41 So we were really working hard to finish all the video requirements and yung photo shoots.
06:47 So yun po.
06:50 We really did our best.
06:54 Thank goodness po na it went really smooth.
06:58 Well, for me, I think that in this pageant, kasi in this year's edition, all are equipped
07:04 to really represent our country in the international stage kasi very sala na when it comes to like
07:10 choosing in every municipality and provinces and cities.
07:13 So I think all are possible to be, you know, strong candidates.
07:19 But I think one of the greatest competitors we can ever deny is yung mga candidates who
07:25 have very large fan base kasi it means that they already have something to the table.
07:33 They already show something na nakikita ng mga tao, especially the pageant fans na they
07:38 can really represent our country well in the international stage.
07:41 So yeah, I think aside from myself, it would be those candidates who have the very large
07:46 fan base.
07:48 The larger fan base, ano, ang tinitignan natin.
07:51 I'm sure you'll get more fans as well.
07:55 That goes for you as well, Miss Ariana.
07:58 And lastly for my question for both of you, Miss Universe theme for this year is for this
08:05 year's Women's Month is Love for All.
08:09 So for you, what does Women's Month mean for you?
08:13 Women's Month is really to inspire, to empower other women.
08:20 And I think if you have the beauty of the mind, the soul and the heart, those qualities
08:27 what makes you beautiful and really what inspires other women.
08:32 I think that we women, we already give the idea that we movement are strong enough and
08:39 we are capable enough to contribute to our community.
08:43 I think Women's Month, we are commemorating the good deeds of women from the past and
08:48 even for the present.
08:50 And we are just trying to recognize their effort as well and to give them the celebration
08:56 and the kudos that they need.
08:58 So yeah, I think that is the essence of celebrating the Women's Month, to give women the recognition
09:03 and the celebration that they need.
09:05 Very well said.
09:06 So, Miss Universe, this year you are competing in your roster with other contestants who
09:12 are moms, who are married as well.
09:17 As you know, recently Miss Universe have widened their horizons and disregarded the age, the
09:23 marital status and parental status.
09:26 So what is your comment on that?
09:30 Now that you're competing with other contestants who are mothers as well and who are married,
09:36 who are older than you, years older than you.
09:40 So what's your take on that?
09:42 I'm very happy that the Miss Universe organization has widened their requirements.
09:50 They are not that strict anymore because I'm benefiting from that as the youngest, especially
10:02 in the height requirement.
10:05 So my comment on that, to the daughters, as long as they are capable and really it makes
10:21 them empowered, that they have the confidence.
10:25 Actually, I just really want to commend and applaud the Miss Universe organization for
10:31 giving this new set of rules for inclusivity and diversity of women.
10:36 Because I know that we women, we are capable regardless of our size, regardless of our
10:41 shape, our age, our color.
10:43 So it's really a good step for us to embrace uniqueness and at the same time embrace the
10:49 strength of every woman in our country and hopefully in the international stage as well.
10:54 We are celebrating diverse women and it's a great start and it's a great step for us
11:00 to celebrate women in all forms of life.
11:04 Very well said.
11:05 Embracing the uniqueness of each women from all walks of life.
11:09 Happy Women's Month, Miss Phoebe Ariana Torita of Cananga and Miss Anita Rose Gomez of Zambales.
11:17 Good luck to you both and thank you so much for your time.
11:21 Thank you.
11:29 Thank you.
11:30 Thank you.
11:30 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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