- 2 days ago
Advocacy in ActionWhere beauty, purpose, and service meet.
Join us as we talk with Ms. PH Eco International and Doctor of Medicine about environmental advocacy, public health, and how she uses her platform to push for meaningful change beyond the stage.
Watch live and look beyond the headlines.
Join us as we talk with Ms. PH Eco International and Doctor of Medicine about environmental advocacy, public health, and how she uses her platform to push for meaningful change beyond the stage.
Watch live and look beyond the headlines.
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🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
01:30Yes, it's certainly nice to have a conversation with you again.
01:33But before that, maybe you'd like to greet your millions of followers.
01:40Hello, everyone.
01:41If we have not met yet or if you don't know who I am, you happen to be scrolling on your Facebook.
01:46I'm Gabby Carvalho.
01:48Yes, I am a beauty queen here in Cebu and from Cebu.
01:51But if you have not joined along on my journey of life yet and you happen to like this conversation, please do follow me on my socials.
01:59But I'm really excited to have this conversation.
02:01If you guys did not know, Sir DJ is my Q&A trainer.
02:04So people said that that's the most memorable part of my journey.
02:09So thank you so much.
02:10And thank you also for the opportunity to collaborate with somebody smart and as intelligent as you are.
02:17So the viewers can also say that I'm a big fan.
02:20Hi, Mom.
02:21Anyway, Sige, when people hear about you, normally they also hear about your titles, no plural.
02:32But beyond the crowns or before the crowns, who was Gabby Carvalho?
02:39Oh my gosh.
02:39So I really did not like think that I'd ever be doing this.
02:43I have my friends back from in the U.S. who when I saw them back in 2022 on a trip to the States, they were like, how is it being a pageant queen?
02:51Because they never expected and neither did I that this is going to be the path of life that I chose.
02:57So I played a lot of sports.
02:59I grew up really competitive.
03:00I think that's where the competitive spirit comes from.
03:04I really just was an academic.
03:07And I think I carried that with me all the way until med school.
03:09But in general, before the crowns, I was really just focusing on school.
03:15I grew up in a middle class family in Orlando, Florida, and I moved to the Philippines at the age of 13.
03:21And so that big move, I think, just made me who I was.
03:25I'm open-minded like someone from abroad, but I'm also someone here in the Philippines who loves traditional things.
03:33I love our culture.
03:34I love the time that I get to spend with my family.
03:36So I would think that that's who I was.
03:38And still am, but just with some crowns on top, I guess.
03:42So when, because now you're even more visible compared to you were before.
03:48And so people also are curious about who you are and what you do.
03:54So which part of your journey?
03:57So that means since birth until the present.
04:00What if my answer is birth?
04:01In which they never asked about, but matters to you?
04:11Oh, that's a really good question.
04:14With the amount of interviews that I have done, to have a question that has not been asked, I think is difficult.
04:19But I think it's more on maybe the challenges that I've been through in my life.
04:27I would say that in a way, I am very privileged to have a family that has provided for me.
04:33They sent me to school.
04:34They gave me a place to sleep and to eat.
04:36And I always had food on the table.
04:38But I think the challenges more so came from internal.
04:42Growing up, I was very, very shy.
04:45Like insanely shy.
04:46And people don't believe that that ever was the case.
04:49I would cry in school when my teacher would call me to answer a question because I did not want to speak.
04:57A lot of my aunts and my uncles are even surprised that this is what I ended up doing because I would never talk.
05:02I was one of the oldest grandchildren, so I was always surrounded by adults.
05:07Maybe that's why my brain is, you know, I think a bit older.
05:11Like I feel like my thoughts are more aged than a lot of people my age.
05:16But I was very alone with my thoughts.
05:20And so that could lead me in a positive or negative direction.
05:22I think I dealt a lot with self-doubt.
05:25I dealt a lot with never actually knowing my potential or my worth until someone pushed me to do a pageant.
05:31And so, yeah, I would say that.
05:34But you can dive into something deeper if there's something else you want to find because who knows?
05:37Maybe I just don't know yet what the question that hasn't been asked to me is.
05:41Maybe the next question.
05:44So if we remove the crown, the sash, the title, and even the lights, what remains?
05:53Oh my gosh.
05:54I'm someone who continues to just strive to level up.
05:59So whether or not I have a title, you know, back in Miss Mandaway, my very first pageant in 2018,
06:04I attached myself so deeply to the title that I didn't know who I was aside from the crown and aside from this, what I do.
06:12But then I realized I can't put my worth in things that are temporary and fleeting.
06:18And so I found it in the way that I treat people.
06:21I really love to give people a space to feel loved and to feel seen.
06:27Something very small that I would do to make people feel that way is even the media in Manila who, you know, they spend their time covering us and posting us.
06:35I'll tell them that I like the shirt that they're wearing that day or I'll ask them where they came from or if they already ate.
06:42Because no matter what, no matter if I have a crown or not, I think that the world needs more people who not only have accolades and titles, but also genuinely care about the people around them.
06:54And although in my industry, it's very quick that we are labeled as attitude because we at one point, if we say what we want, sometimes people say that it's demanding.
07:04But no matter what rumors may go around about any beauty queen, because we all get labeled like that at some point in our career.
07:11I just hope that people do see or feel at least when they come into contact with a lot of us that, you know, we understand very well that we're here to inspire others and here to just cause there to be some light in the world.
07:24Because sometimes, you know, you're scrolling on your Facebook, you look at all these like crime documentaries and all this negative stuff online.
07:31And it's like if I can be the alternative, then I'll choose to be that no matter what title I have or if I even have one.
07:38Now, speaking of titles, you don't just have a beauty title.
07:43You're also a medical doctor.
07:46Yeah.
07:46And medicine is often associated with quiet healing.
07:51Yeah.
07:51While being a beauty queen is associated with being seen, sometimes even being loud.
07:59How do you reconcile the two?
08:02I really think it causes my life to have balance, I would say.
08:06Because one of my favorite lines I've heard in another podcast was the more that I the more I'm seen, the more I want to be hidden and the more I'm hidden, the more I want to be seen.
08:16That's very deep.
08:17So on my end, when I started after Miss Universe Philippines and now all these new people were watching, it kind of overwhelmed me, to be honest, because I was like, wow, I don't have as much anonymity now as I used to.
08:30When I would go on duty in the hospital, I have like zero makeup.
08:34Who knows if I showered that day?
08:37My face was like just like really haggard.
08:40But we all kind of generally understood each other that it's because we're working for 30 hours straight.
08:44We're we're hustling.
08:46We're we're, you know, keeping people alive for for, you know, the time that we're on our shifts.
08:51So I would say that it's less of me reconciling, but more of treating each each thing as a season of my life.
09:00So when I was working in the hospital, that was my time for anonymity and for quiet and for hustle and for, you know, being self-sacrificial.
09:10But then when I stepped into the pageant world, it's me also saying, you know, how else can I impact the lives of people, not only at their lowest points, but also on their normal everyday life?
09:20Like, how can I be impactful to them?
09:22So more of a balance.
09:25Yes.
09:25And you've mentioned self-sacrificial now.
09:28You've because as a doctor, most likely you've seen suffering up close.
09:34Yeah.
09:34How does that also influence the way you wear your crown?
09:40I do think that I have a really good grasp on what's important in life because of my background in medicine.
09:48I if anyone asks me, they always ask, are you going to go into show business or are you going to go into I don't know, anything like that, anything showbiz related.
09:57And although it is an option, but I think my understanding of medicine allows me to see that spending time with my family is really important.
10:06Making time for my loved ones is very important because I've I would see death every day.
10:11It would become a normal thing.
10:13I mean, to the point where this is even kind of low key, like bad, but to the point where we would see death enough that it doesn't really we don't feel as swayed by it anymore because we have to stay composed under under pressure when someone is in the middle of losing their life.
10:30So it's helped me to understand that this this time for me as a beauty queen is it's a temporary season that I'm I am a beauty queen.
10:38But it is something that I'll carry with me forever that I can continue to find ways to impact people outside of just the hospital.
10:45And then speaking of your everyday life, but this time more focused on being a doctor.
10:51Yeah.
10:51Was there a time that somebody just Googled something and asked you about it?
10:58And what was that?
11:00Because normally it's like, oh, I read somewhere that I'm not supposed to do this.
11:04Oh, this is all the time.
11:05Yes.
11:06All the time.
11:08Oh, my gosh.
11:08The biggest one right now is Ozempic.
11:11Yeah, I heard about that.
11:12Yes.
11:12Ozempic.
11:13Everyone is like, is it safe?
11:14Is it not?
11:15I'm like, number one, it's not for weight loss.
11:18So you can expect that your body has a really high chance of going haywire because you're taking a med for a reason that it's not intended for.
11:26You know, during during the pandemic, everyone was questioning the vaccines, right?
11:31Yes.
11:31But if they knew the amount of research it takes to create things, it would also make you trust a lot more.
11:38Because like the vaccine was not just for the Philippines.
11:40It was for the entire world.
11:42And so, you know, the World Health Organization is doing its best to make sure to keep us safe.
11:47So I have really high trust in research and in science because, I mean, we've gotten this far, right?
11:53So there's a lot that we have to learn.
11:55So I always tell people, you know, better if you just ask your doctor.
12:00But I guess that's them asking me.
12:02But even though I'm not licensed yet, I'm still going to PGI ship.
12:06So I can I can ask my licensed friends.
12:09But yes, I am going back to the hospital probably January of 2027.
12:14So I'll be going to PGI ship.
12:15I'll take the boards the following year.
12:17So back to the normal hustle, the conventional hustle.
12:23Conventional hustle.
12:24Speaking of, my question is both the conventional and the unconventional hustle.
12:31So which one is easier?
12:35Calming a nervous patient or calming yourself before the announcement of winners?
12:42I think it's definitely actually calming myself before announcing a winner.
12:52Well, because the problem is, you know, you're dealing with other humans when you're calming a nervous patient and everyone has different levels of coping skills.
13:02So it's very difficult to have patience on your own when you comfort someone, when you cannot feel exactly what they're feeling.
13:09But when I'm on stage, it's like I actually feel really peaceful after Q&A.
13:14Not because of the answer itself, but it's because I did everything that I could.
13:19And whatever the result is, it's not in my control.
13:21So I was really big during my whole journey of, like, not being too controlling of everything.
13:27And you've always been an achiever, no?
13:31Not just in the field of pageantry, but also when you were still in school.
13:39So some people are normally curious about if they see somebody as successful as you are.
13:45And then they also get to see that you tend to achieve what you aspire for.
13:50Or do you still really get no for an answer?
13:55You know, I would say that sometimes what holds me back is not the fact that somebody said no.
14:02But it's because I get overwhelmed by how much I have to do in order to get something.
14:07So one thing that I did mention before we started was I want to open a business this year.
14:12And for so long, I put it on the back burner because I was saying, you know, I've never done this before.
14:17I don't have any background in business.
14:21I come from a family of doctors and people in medicine.
14:24So I was really afraid to do it.
14:28And now I'm starting to do it.
14:29What I had to do is find the right people to kind of help me.
14:32But even so, it's moving so slowly because sometimes I still get overwhelmed by the reality that, oh, this is like a big thing.
14:38Like it's new, it's new ground.
14:40And so I think, yeah, the barricade for me is less of hearing no, but more of me doubting that I can do it.
14:46So even if I have accomplished so and so and whatever, it's really still, I think, a universal feeling that we will always self-doubt for at least a moment before we step into something.
14:56And then the difference between a successful person and one that isn't is who actually takes the two seconds of courage to step in and actually do something.
15:06I mean, the two seconds of courage is actually new to me.
15:12No, because what the usual lines that I hear is, you fall seven times.
15:17Fall seven times, get up eight.
15:18Yes, no, but because, yeah, two seconds is just enough if that's two seconds of courage.
15:26So what fear still visits you every once in a while?
15:34Oh, yeah.
15:35Well, first of all, even though I told you I was shy growing up, I have social anxiety sometimes.
15:40You know, and I sometimes I think being in the public eye also makes me overthink like people have all these expectations of me and I cannot I can't disappoint them in any way.
15:50For example, everyone loves to have fun during Sinulog, but I didn't want to be over the top fun because there's all these people around.
15:57And I have to what I would make sure to do is I would still look at the crowd and wave at them, take photos with them because I don't want them to like feel like I'm not minding them.
16:06So I think it's like a balance of me understanding my role and my current responsibility, but also living a little like letting go a little and staying who you are and staying who I am.
16:19I think one thing that I love that's changing a little bit in the pageant industry is we're really humanizing our queens.
16:26Queens are going live on TikTok with no makeup.
16:29They're having the funniest sense of humor.
16:31And I think that's a nice direction that I'm seeing it go in.
16:34And I think another fear that maybe visits me is really like, what am I doing next?
16:39Because like you said, I guess I have I have this like track record of like achieve, achieve, achieve.
16:45But so now after I did MUP, it's kind of like that was such a big deal.
16:50What's the next thing I'm going to do?
16:51I am competing in Egypt in May, but still I'm like, OK, and then after that, like what's going to be next for me after I leave the pageant industry?
16:58What's going to be next for me again?
17:00And so as a planner, that is that is the fear that I run into.
17:05But I'm really reflecting a lot and trying to see like what small things can I do every single day?
17:11So speaking of sense of humor, and I forgot to bring our props here.
17:17So I think it's it's NASA dressing room.
17:20So that's what a live show does.
17:22OK.
17:22I forgot to bring the props here, but we're going to play a bit of a game.
17:27So let's call this the Queen's Verdict.
17:30So I'll read statements here and then OK.
17:34Live is good.
17:37We don't have a choice.
17:38So I'll read a statement and then you decide whether it's true or false or it's true or false or you agree or you disagree.
17:51Yes.
17:52How about like half?
17:53No.
17:55It's either you're hot or cold.
18:00No warm.
18:01No warm.
18:02OK.
18:02Pageant queens don't eat rice.
18:11That's true, but not all the time.
18:13See, this would be a warm.
18:15Warm.
18:15OK.
18:16Why?
18:16Because I was eating a lot of rice after my pageant.
18:20But now that I'm approaching a new one, now it's half cup.
18:24And as I get nearer, it'll be none.
18:26So it's really it depends on the time.
18:29I think I'm getting kind of sick of dieting because it's been way too long.
18:32So we'll see.
18:32After this pageant, I think you'll see me at like Lechon places and all those different places to just enjoy and let go.
18:40By the way, because I was there when you won your national crown.
18:44What did you eat after?
18:47McDonald's.
18:48Ah.
18:49I had 10-piece chicken nuggets with a large fries and Coke.
18:54And that's how you know that I really was so hungry because I never drink soft drinks.
19:00Not because it's a diet thing, but because I was traumatized when I was seven years old because my mom ordered a kid's cup.
19:06And usually it's a U.S.
19:07The kid's cup has like design.
19:10So you can't see what's inside.
19:12When I drank it, it was Coke.
19:13And the fizziness of the Coke, I was like, never again.
19:15So good trauma though because I don't drink soft drinks.
19:18But that's how you know that I was so just dehydrated after Miss Universe Philippines because I drank a Coke.
19:26This one.
19:27Winning pageant answers are memorized.
19:32No, it's not.
19:34Actually, funnily enough, so many people would comment on my answer that I memorized it.
19:38And other people would, what's funny is other people would defend me.
19:43Like, I mean, bless their heart.
19:44They would defend me and say, why would it be memorized?
19:47She's a doctor.
19:47I'm like, do you think all doctors speak well though?
19:50Like, it's not.
19:50There's no, there's no correlation.
19:53But like, we did the work.
19:55We do the work.
19:56One of my favorite pageant answers is her name is Cindy Obenita.
20:00She's, she's from Binibining, Pilipinas.
20:03She was a People's Choice Awardee.
20:05She did not make the top girls by vote.
20:09I mean, by judge's choice.
20:11But she had the most iconic answer.
20:12And she ended up getting a crown at Binibining, Pilipinas.
20:15So I really think that, yeah, there's impact.
20:17There is impact.
20:18And it's, it's an important 30 seconds for you to, you know, shed light on, on what you want people to know.
20:24And speaking of shedding light, a pageant lady would say, I'm just here to enjoy the experience.
20:32But her heart usually disagrees.
20:38If that's true?
20:40Yes, or false.
20:44That's hard.
20:45It's like hard to like, to generalize all of them or all of us.
20:49But I would say.
20:51Like, okay, can you ask that one more time?
20:53A pageant lady would say, I am just here for the experience.
20:57But her heart disagrees.
20:59I think that's a no.
21:03Yeah.
21:05See, girl.
21:06Yeah, I definitely think it's a no.
21:08Because it's hard.
21:10You're spending resources and all that.
21:13And so you don't want to spend like three months of your life just fighting like crazy for a crown.
21:22And then not enjoying your time while you're there.
21:25Like, it's offering you a community of girls who are all hard workers.
21:30Who are all achievers in their own different ways.
21:33I definitely think we all want to win.
21:36But at the same time, the choice that we have to make every day is to show up.
21:40And the only way for you to show up 100% is to genuinely enjoy what you're doing.
21:44So I would say that.
21:45Which applies in everything that we do.
21:48It's important that we enjoy what we do.
21:52And not let the competition, if we call it, get in the way.
21:57Yeah.
21:57Everyone always asks, like, is it true that there's sabotage backstage?
22:00I've never experienced it.
22:01I've never experienced it.
22:04Alright.
22:05Yeah.
22:05There's never been a time that I felt like someone was gonna ruin my chances.
22:09You know what?
22:10People ruining your chances are actually more from outside of the girls.
22:14More of from, like, you know, their teams or something.
22:17That sometimes, not all the time, there will be certain people who really want to ruin it for you.
22:22But it's never the girl herself.
22:23This one.
22:24Everyone is calm until the ranking starts.
22:29No.
22:30Okay.
22:30No, that's not true.
22:32There are some people, it depends on you, okay?
22:34There are some people that from the very beginning, before opening production number,
22:38they're already, like, shaking.
22:39And, like, they're having a hard time.
22:41And you need to calm them down.
22:43There are other people that they don't get nervous until Q&A.
22:47Because there's some girls that they don't feel so confident in Q&A.
22:50And then they're like, oh, no.
22:51Oh, no.
22:52It's finally the time.
22:53Like, this is the deciding moment.
22:54So it depends on the girl.
22:56So I would say no.
22:57That's not true.
22:57The hardest opponent is the voice in your head.
23:01Yes.
23:04All the time.
23:05Every single day.
23:06Can you imagine?
23:07Like, even if there's so many voices online and they're really honest about how they feel.
23:13But in the end of the day, it's still you who filters those comments.
23:18It's still you who chooses to believe them or not.
23:21And so it's really what I would say.
23:23And this is what Chris Hanson told me before I joined Miss Universe Philippines 2024.
23:28She was really saying how much of a mental battle it was.
23:31And so that's why my main preparation was really mental over everything else.
23:36And this is the next one is a mental statement.
23:40When your number is not cold yet, as one of the finalists, you clap for others while secretly calculating who among the front runners are still here and how many slots are left.
23:54Yeah, yeah, that is so true.
24:00Because you're like happy for them, like genuinely.
24:02But you're like, but what about me?
24:04Like, is there still a chance that I'm going to get in or not?
24:07And sometimes you're like, oh, shoot, but she isn't in yet.
24:10And for sure she's going to be in there.
24:11So yes, I would say that that is a very true statement.
24:14And now this one is related to Q&A because that's also when people get to see you up close literally and figuratively.
24:24Literally because you are your face, no?
24:27Is the earring, are the earrings as important as your answer in Q&A?
24:34Truly, no.
24:37Like, I would say I think it's about time we move away from the really heavy pageant earrings.
24:43I think they're so distracting sometimes.
24:46But no, most of the time when I watch pageants, I don't notice their earrings.
24:51I'm only looking at maybe like if their face, their smile is shaking or like when the host asks them like, how are you?
24:59That answer after that is a big deal because you can tell how confident that girl is.
25:03So that's usually what I think is more noticeable.
25:07Now this one is maybe a myth or maybe true.
25:10There's always one person assigned to guide your gown.
25:14Like it's a classified information.
25:18Like on the day or in general?
25:20In general.
25:21Because I think there's always that big reveal thing.
25:28Not one person.
25:29I would say no.
25:30Definitely a team of people.
25:32But what's crazy is you never even have to say like, don't post it.
25:37All that.
25:37Everyone understands to not post it.
25:40Sometimes, yes, gowns do get out.
25:42But frankly, as the person I am, I really don't care.
25:47Like, okay, if it gets out, it's not my control.
25:49So whatever.
25:49But other girls, yes, they want to like really, really keep it under wraps.
25:52And I think other people really, if it gets out, they really will find a way to like remove it off the internet and stuff like that.
25:58But for the sake of the designer, I think it's a really good thing to like, you know, keep it to yourself.
26:03Yeah.
26:03And this time, something to do with rituals now.
26:07Is having a playlist also a secret power ritual?
26:12Well, yes, for sure.
26:16I was listening to worship music the entire Miss Universe Philippines journey.
26:20I never listened to any other music other than worship music.
26:24At first, I thought you were going to ask me about like the headsets.
26:27Like, oh, yeah.
26:28Maybe I see.
26:28Yes, yes, yes.
26:29But no, I've never, I've never been the last.
26:32I've never been not first to answer Q&A.
26:35Ah.
26:36Yeah.
26:37So I have not tried it.
26:38I have not tried wearing the headphones.
26:40During Miss Cebu, it was like, everyone had a different question.
26:43So we didn't have headphones.
26:45So anyways, no.
26:46But yes, playlists are a big, crucial part.
26:49Because I think even lyrics wise, you can get bits and pieces from the kinds of songs that you listen to.
26:55Or realizations.
26:57Yeah.
26:57Yeah.
26:58And then this is the final statement for this particular segment.
27:02For this game.
27:03And I think you've mentioned this a little bit earlier.
27:07Microphones are the real wild cards.
27:10That's, that's pretty true.
27:15Yeah.
27:15I would say that sometimes it's not even, because I've never experienced a technical difficulty with the mic while answering Q&A.
27:22But I have experienced when the mic can't be adjusted to go higher.
27:27So like, because I'm wearing six inch heels.
27:30So I need to pull the mic up to my height.
27:32And sometimes what happens is it doesn't.
27:35And so I'm like crouching.
27:36And like trying to answer Q&A.
27:38And it does not look classy.
27:40It does not look elegant in any way.
27:41And I think that ruins things sometimes.
27:44So I would say to all girls, please grab the mic if you can and just hold it in your hand.
27:48It makes it easier.
27:49So thank you for your candor, you know, in terms of giving your verdict.
27:55So now let's talk about pressure.
27:59Because I believe a lot of young girls who are watching would most likely also follow the path that you are taking.
28:08Which kind of pressure hurts more?
28:11The public's expectation or the ones that you place on yourself?
28:19Well, it depends on what you choose to focus on.
28:22Because I focus more on my own pressure than I did on other people.
28:27Strangely enough, I got to the point where when I would see hate comments online,
28:30which were usually saying things like,
28:32Oh, like Miss Universe is for like the Barbie type of girl now.
28:36She's never going to get in the top six, stuff like that.
28:39Like I would read one and maybe be like,
28:41Ouch, but I instantly blocked them.
28:43Like block, remove, delete, comment, like get out of here.
28:46You don't deserve to be like commenting on my page.
28:48But I was focusing a lot more like where my headspace is at.
28:52So I would say that the more difficult one to manage is really more of the internal side.
28:58But you have to like learn how to manage it.
29:00And that includes, again, music you listen to, things you watch, who's around you at that time.
29:06You know, are the people around you all having the best intentions for you?
29:10So I'm big on discernment and choosing who has input.
29:15Because aside from them being a creative person or a talent in what they do,
29:20I also look for the kind of person that they are.
29:22You are the, correct me if I'm wrong, but I've heard and read about this several times,
29:32the undefeated queen, no?
29:36And, and, and, but no one has it all figured out.
29:40Yeah.
29:40So, what did losing teach you more than winning could?
29:51What's funny is I think this was one of our, our questions before for practice.
29:55Something similar to this.
29:57That's why I don't remember what it is.
29:58I would say, sorry, I would definitely say that it teaches me that just nothing is,
30:08nothing is truly, like you can work so hard, but that doesn't mean that things are yours.
30:14And, and that's not even, I was not sad after, after losing.
30:18That was the first time that I did not get the main title in a, in a competition.
30:22But it's still a crown.
30:23Yeah, it is still a crown.
30:24But of course, not the crown that we were all vying for.
30:26Like all the Sibuanos were hoping that we were going to get the Miss Universe Philippines title.
30:30But what I learned from it was that like, you know, you put your heart into everything.
30:35You lay all your cards out on the table.
30:38And in the end, it's not up to you if it's going to be yours or not.
30:42And that's okay.
30:43You know, I was more open to like, you know, what is it that, what is it that,
30:49you know, the Lord wants me to have.
30:50And it was this title.
30:51And the more that I reflected about it, it makes sense that this is my title.
30:55I've been doing advocacy work for environmental sustainability for the last, what, six years, seven years.
31:00And so it's so aligned with who I am at my core.
31:03The pageant is so focused on advocacy over anything else.
31:07And so I would say that, you know, we think we know what's best for us.
31:11But in reality, we never really do.
31:13And we have to be okay with letting go.
31:15And speaking of letting go, not every day, you know what I'm saying?
31:21Not all days are the same.
31:22Yes.
31:23So there are good days.
31:24There are not so good days.
31:26So when the crown feels heavy, who do you run to?
31:29Oh, well, I run to God first.
31:32So that's definitely the first place I run.
31:35If I wake up in the morning, I'm not feeling good.
31:36I open my Bible right away and I'm like, help me, please.
31:39Like, give me something to give me encouragement for today.
31:42That's the first place I run or I pray about it.
31:44But what's interesting in the way that I'll pray about it is instead of like crying out
31:49because I need help, I say thank you for all the other things that I can say thank you for.
31:54So even if I'm not having a stressful day, I still do that.
31:58Like when I'm driving on the way here, I was like, thank you, Lord, for just like me getting
32:02to use the car today.
32:03And thank you for just letting me, letting my lashes go on right today and having a really
32:08beautiful day.
32:09And then the other places I run, for sure, my mom is one big, one big part of that.
32:14My fiance is one big part of that.
32:17I think that I have, I'm so lucky right now at this present season of my life to have
32:21really good people around.
32:23I've gone through losing friends.
32:24I've gone through like entire friend groups that I thought would be there forever getting
32:28disbanded.
32:29And that was probably the most hurtful part of the last seven years of my life.
32:34But I was given really good people to sub in for that.
32:38And I think that that's because I noticed that that was a gift given to me.
32:42That's why, you know, I feel I feel lucky every day.
32:45I feel very blessed.
32:47That doesn't mean that I don't have really bad anxiety.
32:49Sometimes I get health anxiety.
32:51I get worried about my dogs and my parents.
32:55Health is a big thing that I realize that at any moment, your whole life could just switch.
33:01And sometimes that makes me feel really nervous.
33:03But I think it's really about, you know, focusing on the things that you have been provided that
33:07really helps you.
33:09If you can invent a pageant superpower, what would it be and why?
33:15Empathy.
33:18Yeah, empathy.
33:20But I think it's not just a pageant superpower.
33:22Anybody who has any sort of small influence even, just to be an empathetic person.
33:28Because oftentimes, people will connect being like a CEO or a very powerful person to being
33:33mean and to being someone who's brutal and who doesn't really care about how they feel.
33:39But I think there's a way to intertwine the two.
33:42There's a way for you to have empathy but also be stern in what you want the outcome to be.
33:48There's a way for you to lead people that's soft but also not soft, too soft where you
33:52get walked on.
33:54And so one thing I learned a lot this year is like how to truly love another person is
33:59to love them enough to correct them.
34:02Tough love.
34:03Tough love.
34:03And I think that that's real love because a lot of people think that love is saying
34:07everything's okay and everything is acceptable but not everything's acceptable.
34:11But how you communicate that makes all the difference.
34:13Obviously, you're really good at conversations and Q&A.
34:23But were there questions also in the past that you would roll your eyes?
34:30It's like, why is this question?
34:32Well, I don't really like political questions.
34:37Because you have to ask, what's the point of the question?
34:39If your point is to throw the girl off, then that's a little bit mean, you know?
34:45Even though, yes, like I figured out a way to like answer it in which it's okay and it's
34:50safe.
34:52But like, what's the point?
34:53You know, you want the girl to be there to showcase her intelligence as to how she looks
34:58at life.
34:59What are the things that she's done to make the world a better place?
35:03Not to make her embarrassed or not to make her controversial.
35:08And if you think about it, being controversial looks bad on the pageant, too.
35:12If you are asking controversial questions in 2026.
35:15I don't think it's that smart of a route to go.
35:18So, yeah, it's more political questions.
35:21I'm like, there's too much going on.
35:23And like, there's too many facets.
35:24There's too many different opinions.
35:26I don't think it's smart.
35:28Like, what's the point if I share it?
35:29You know, if I share it and there will, you know that there's going to be backlash.
35:33There's no way that there won't be.
35:35Yeah.
35:36So, I think I like how you open it.
35:38It depends on what the intention is in asking that question.
35:44And then, hopefully this is not the one.
35:47No, sorry.
35:48Is there a secret ritual that you've been told in the past every time you would join a pageant?
35:56Which, eventually, you figure that that's not true.
35:59It's not necessary.
36:02Hmm.
36:05Let me think.
36:05I don't...
36:06Like something that you put on your shoes or whatever.
36:09Well, I think it's like a common thing for anyone with new shoes.
36:13You know, like you have to bless the shoe and then people will step on your shoes.
36:16I don't know.
36:17People would...
36:18I remember high school.
36:19If you have new shoes, your classmates will all step on it.
36:22Even if they're white, they'll step on your new shoes and then it'll get dirty.
36:27Ah, yeah.
36:27I remember that.
36:28Stuff like that.
36:29That's also in the pageant industry.
36:31Oh, yeah.
36:31Okay.
36:32I remember that usually in school.
36:34Yes, in school.
36:35But in terms of like someone telling me, oh, you need to do this.
36:37I don't think so.
36:39I don't think I've experienced anything.
36:41Maybe when I was starting, but I don't remember.
36:43Or...
36:44But funnily enough, obviously, I've never undergone any like aesthetic procedures.
36:51I've been told a few times like you should do this.
36:53You should do that.
36:54You should do that.
36:54Like it'll be the best.
36:55But like I didn't want to because I was like, well, I don't feel comfortable and all that.
37:00I mean, I do want to go into aesthetics though as a doctor, but which is funny.
37:04But like I just, that part, there are some girls who like me would choose to not undergo.
37:13So there's really these funny stories of like girls before that because they wouldn't, they
37:17would put super glue inside their nostrils so that their nose would, you know, get smaller
37:23or put super glue behind the ears to make ears that are out go back.
37:28So things like that.
37:29I think those are pretty funny.
37:30I don't think people know about that.
37:31Which actually makes sense.
37:34It's a temporary fix, but I hope their skin is okay after.
37:38And we cannot end this interview without talking about your advocacy.
37:42So what particular environmental advocacy that you consider closest to you?
37:48Well, one thing that I have carried with me for a long time is really about more on the
37:54discipline of the people.
37:55So I started in 2018 doing like waste segregation workshops with Mondawe City Central School.
38:02And I think we went to Zapatera and we also did the same thing.
38:05We donated these basketball themed trash cans for them to like shoot their trash in and
38:09stuff like that at the school.
38:11Big on making sure that they know.
38:13I think Mayor Nestor also even talked about how they won't collect if you don't segregate.
38:18And so things like that, I'm really big on just like the person recognizing their own
38:23personal responsibility because you can't always rely on like, oh, the government has
38:28to do this.
38:28The government has to do that.
38:29Like you have to play your own role.
38:31And then at the same time, because back in 2022, I saw that, you know, after the pandemic,
38:37our hotels are picking back up again.
38:39So I took the lightly used bar soaps from their hotels and then I remade them with mothers
38:44from the community into like new bars of soap that they could take home with them and use
38:48at their house.
38:48So they're not paying for, they're not buying soap anymore.
38:51And then they also get to use something that, you know, was cleaned and made into a new bar
38:56of soap.
38:56So I'm really big on like, how can we make Cebu circularly sustainable?
39:02And that was the way that I saw fit.
39:05Now, moving forward, I still want to talk about that.
39:08And also go into disaster preparedness in relation to the environment, just because
39:14we went through so much last year.
39:17In just months.
39:18Yeah, in just a few months.
39:20And then the Benalio landslide happened.
39:23And you really realize that there's really a heavy need for us to do something about just
39:29making bad things happen less, you know, de-escalating the chances of something that will kill
39:38people or make people, you know, lose their lives.
39:41We need to decrease the chances of something like that happening.
39:44And so I did have a courtesy call with Mayor Nestor yesterday.
39:49And he, we're going to be covering, I'm going to be covering a lot of his different projects
39:53that he's doing around the city.
39:54Because I think having a leader also that is actively, you know, looking for environmental
40:00reform, hopefully will also encourage a lot of other Filipinos and Cebuanos that, you know,
40:04it's something that we all have a role to play in.
40:07He's very hands-on.
40:08So I definitely, I'm excited to see he has hydroponics.
40:12He, he did like the solar, he changed a lot of the lights to solar.
40:15So I'm looking forward to see more of the change that happens in Cebu, not only because
40:19of him, but also because of the Cebuanos.
40:21And by the way, he will be here tomorrow.
40:25Yes, hopefully the schedule will continue to work.
40:27But as of today, no?
40:29Still, no?
40:30Okay.
40:31No, because schedule sometimes change.
40:33Yes.
40:33So now in case, in the context of Miss Echo International Philippines and eventually
40:39becoming Miss Echo International, when the title is, when your reign is over, no?
40:47So that means the crown, the sash, the lights are all gone.
40:51Will the advocacy still continue?
40:53It will still continue, but I am looking for people to make sure that that continues to
40:58move forward.
41:00I am introverted by nature.
41:02I like to do things a lot on my own.
41:04And sometimes that is my biggest hindrance because I am shy to ask for help from other
41:09people.
41:10And so you are definitely going to be messaged because you do a lot of wonderful work.
41:17With the community.
41:18And so I just need, you know, people who have more experience than me and making things
41:23bigger, having research and development done and having, you know, a really strong backing
41:29so that it can really grow.
41:30The very first time that I volunteered for any kind of charity, I was 12.
41:39And it was for Clean the World, who did the exact same thing with the bar soaps, but they
41:42donated to Africa because this was still in the United States when I did this.
41:46So my dream is to have something that's that big that goes across nations or across the
41:53whole Philippines, not just within Cebu, but, you know.
41:55And the international crown will further widen your reach.
41:59Yeah, yeah.
42:00I get to go to Egypt.
42:01And so hopefully people will, you know, follow along and join on my journey of life from there.
42:06So I know that I'll be going back to the hospital for sure and working there.
42:10But I think the advocacy side of my life is always going to be there because I think I
42:17need it.
42:17I think everybody needs it to, like, realize that life is not just about you and there's
42:21a lot of people that need to be helped out there.
42:23And yes, you are an achiever and you're still very young.
42:27So it's clear now that there are still brighter things that are ahead of you.
42:33But for now, let me ask you, and this is already, like, my second to the last question.
42:37What kind of woman are you still becoming?
42:42Oh, I'm really just one that's still trying to figure everything out.
42:47I know that it looks like I have everything all figured out because you know why?
42:51Because I overthink.
42:52That's why I have, like, you know, I do have profound thoughts because my mind's consistently
42:56running.
42:57And that's a good thing.
42:58But it's also a really hard thing to navigate, knowing when to how to, like, rewire my brain
43:03when it goes in a way that is really negative or I'm getting I'm spending way too much time
43:08on my phone sometimes.
43:10You know, I still have those typical everyday struggles.
43:12I put a time limit on my on my phone because I'm on it for too long sometimes.
43:16And it makes me feel like, oh, my gosh, I'm not doing anything.
43:19I'm not I'm not achieving anything.
43:21And so I would say that I'm really just becoming a full like a fully grown woman this year.
43:27I think I am not only going to be joining, but I'm also getting married this year.
43:31So I get to step into I get to step into, you know, my role as as not just a single woman,
43:38but a wife.
43:39And and that takes a lot of adjustment because you're also balancing bringing a whole new person
43:44into your everyday space.
43:45And as an introvert, you know, I'm very protective of my space.
43:49So to have to adjust to that.
43:50And I think one thing that I leave this pageant industry holding is that this has always just
43:56been a seasonal thing for me.
43:58So moving forward, this is not my whole life.
44:02Pageants are not my whole life, but the the ways that I'll grow and change are really what
44:06I'm going to bring with me forever.
44:08And young girls are watching now and one of them is here and young boys, too.
44:14So if they wish to walk the same path that you are threading now, what do you want her
44:23or him to know?
44:26The pressure is a lot.
44:28Oh, my gosh.
44:30Well, I definitely think that there's a big thing in when you're in school that you only
44:36have to go to school and that you only have to.
44:39That's it.
44:39Like you go to school, you finish and then you work and then that's it.
44:43But I'm really big on recognizing that I think there's more to you than going to school and
44:50education.
44:50It's a big deal.
44:51Yes.
44:51And it's very important.
44:53But what is it that, you know, fuels your life?
44:56And people are lucky sometimes to have their background of education and their work become
45:02what fuels them and their passion.
45:04But realistically, there always has to be something else that's going to be out there to make you
45:08excited and make you realize that, you know, I can even if I do this and I'm not getting
45:12paid, it still makes me so happy.
45:15So I would say if you're young and you still don't know what direction to go in, I just highly
45:21encourage you to join clubs, to go out of the school setting, to identify what thing
45:29it is in the world that that makes your heart hurt.
45:32And if you can do something about it, even with just a small group of people, then that's
45:35that's already going to be impactful.
45:37And I think super last, you don't have to be a beauty queen.
45:41You don't have to be a mayor.
45:42You don't have to be a big CEO in order for you to make a difference.
45:46Like I said, what will always be the most important thing is how you treat people, because
45:52there was one guy who told me at this event I had in Manila, he said, I'm not beautiful.
45:57I'm not I'm not popular.
45:59How in the world can I make an impact?
46:01And I started like tearing up in front of him because I was like, you have no idea that,
46:05you know, you could literally change the four people around you because you were nice to
46:10them and because you welcomed them in for lunch.
46:12You sat next to them when they were alone.
46:13And like, that's the bigger picture.
46:17So I think that's it.
46:18So the final question, beyond the headlines, Gabby Carvalho is?
46:26Beyond the headlines, Gabby Carvalho is figuring everything out one day at a time.
46:34Yeah.
46:35So thank you very much for joining us today, considering your very busy schedule because
46:40you're now traveling in and out of Cebu.
46:43I'm flying out tonight.
46:44Oh, really?
46:45So thank you for making time and joining us here in Beyond the Headlines.
46:49And all the best in the upcoming Miss Echo International this coming May in Egypt.
46:54Yes.
46:55Cebu and the Philippines are rooting for you.
46:57So from Cebu to the world stage, from hospitals to the pageant stage, Gabby's journey reminds
47:05us that leadership is not about being in the spotlight.
47:09It's about using that spotlight to shine for others.
47:13I'm DJ Moises.
47:15And to our viewers, thank you for watching.
47:16And we'll see you again tomorrow.
47:18Have a good afternoon.
47:19We'll see you then.
47:38Thanks.
47:39Bye.
47:40Bye.
47:40Bye.
47:41Bye.
47:42Bye.
47:42Bye.
47:44Bye.
47:44Bye.
47:45Bye.
47:47Bye.
47:48Bye.
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