The Miss Universe Philippines 2021 has revealed the Top 7 winners of the Interview Challenge.
Organizers said that the seven candidates are phenomenal delegates who stood out to the panelists for their eloquence and poise during the interviews.
- Victoria Velasquez Vincent (Cavite)
"Hi, I'm Victoria Velasquez Vincent representing my beloved Cavite. I am an architect and a heritage conservationist. And aside from being a lover of all things visually creative, I'm also a lover of poetry and anything underrated. So whether it be the food that people typically don't like or the places less traveled, you will always find me going against the grain. I am a Virgo and the epitome of a Virgo at that, which means I'm obsessed with being organized and solving problems, and nurturing the growth of those around. Fun fact, you will never find anyone with a better memory than me whether it's your birthday, your phone number, or what I had for Christmas lunch in 2012. You best believe I will never forget it."
Would you rather be an Olympic gold medalist or Miss Universe?
"That's a hard question because either way, you are bringing so much pride to your country. But for me, I would have to say I would rather be Miss Universe because the prestige that lasts with Miss Universe is so much stronger than what lasts with an Olympic athlete, in my opinion. And with Miss Universe, you only have to do it once, and you bring so much pride to your country whereas with being an Olympic medalist you have to keep improving every year, you have to do better and better. So for me, yeah, I think I'd go with Miss Universe."
Now global warming has caused dramatic climate changes worldwide, as a beauty queen how will you help in protecting our environment?
"It starts with the changes that you make in your own, personal life, and then extending that and using the platform that we have in Miss Universe Philippines; to encourage other people to do the same thing. So for example, for me, I have actually converted to being 90% vegan because I know that animal agriculture contributes to so much of the issues that climate change causes. So even that minor change, I know I'm contributing to such a large issue and I know that I can use my platform to encourage other people to do the same."
How has the pandemic challenged you?
"Above all else, the pandemic has challenged me in a way that has made me both stronger and more independent. I spent the first year of the pandemic in New Zealand and had the privilege of having that safety and security, but I still chose to sacrifice all of those things and relocate to the Philippines in January. And if there's anything that that journey taught me, it's that you might need to make some sacrifices along the way, and you might need to give up on so many things and let go of so many things in your life. But you should never let anything, not even a worldwide pandemic, get in the way of your dream."
- Maria Ingrid Teresita P. Santamaria (Parañaque)
"My name is Ingrid Santamaria but I also go by Sam. I'm a 25-year-old corporate professional, and I graduated cum laude with a degree in Communications at De La Salle University. I come from a big family, so I was always raised to be sociable at a young age and I think that's where my love for community started. I also love to travel and explore new cultures. I love the sun and the sea and the beach is my happy place. I've played many roles in my life, I've been a leader an athlete and a writer. I've worked in Marketing PR and E-commerce, and now I find myself in the world of pageantry. I'm somebody who faces challenges head-on and this journey marks the beginning of my transformation into a phenomenal woman."
If you were asked to give a speech to a group of graduating students who missed school physically and events like the prom and graduation, what is your message to them?
"These are times that are very unpredictable. We don't know what's going to happen in the future but I'm glad that you pushed past boundaries. Learning online is very difficult and as long as you keep on working hard and keep continuing to do your passions, then your dreams will become a reality. So I'm proud of everything that you've gone through and more power to all of you."
Social media networks are intended to bring people closer together but in many dining situations people are more busy on their phones, how do you resolve these conflicting realities?
"Well, social media is like a double-edged sword. I find that although it does allow you to have communication - especially with people far away from you - sometimes it hinders us from being present in the moment. In my opinion, it is just better to put your phone down when you're enjoying a nice meal with your friends and just be there in the moment. There's nothing wrong with being online but being present is something that it's like a gift that you can offer."
How has the pandemic challenged you?
"Well, being stuck alone in this pandemic, I really had to learn to look inward. I've had to learn, to learn to love myself and to fully take care of myself. And it's allowed me to become in tune with my passions and hobbies and I've even written down some goals and plans for the future and these things were things that I just enjoyed from the day to day but now I'm a woman who does…"
- Rousanne Marie Bernos (San Juan City)
"Hi everyone, my name is Rousanne Marie Bernos and I'm the first daughter, first granddaughter, and first niece in both sides of my family. So no pressure. But growing up I had to do a lot of trial and error trying to figure out what I wanted to be. So in the last 10 years, I have been an Interior Design major, English major, working student, writer, freelancer, content creator, entrepreneur, English teacher in Spain, and now also a beauty queen. So I like to think that I'm more than just a jack of all trades master of none. I'm also a very determined person with a lot of good stories to tell. It's nice to meet you."
Digital addiction can refer to phone internet or social media addiction. How would you intervene if you feel that one of your friends has digital addiction?
"I would probably become an accountability partner for her. Perhaps, maybe I could check in at night, maybe at 10 p.m. I'll say 'Hey, it's time to stop. Let's go to bed, girl. And let's just go have some peace of mind.'"
Is it important to do the right thing or avoid doing the wrong thing?
"I think it's important, it's more important to do the right thing because there is such an importance in being proactive about how we go about life. So it's all about doing being mindful of what impact we have on other people."
How has the pandemic challenged you?
"The pandemic has made me realize how fast and short life is and how helpless we can be if the basics are taken away from us. And so I really learned to value the people in my life, care for them better and connect with them better - for sure."
- Isabelle de los Santos (Makati City)
"Hi, I'm Isabelle de los Santos, most people call me Isa so I'll be using my
nickname to introduce myself today. So I, for Interested, I'm always interested to try new things and experiences, which is why I joined Miss Universe Philippines 2021. This is actually my first pageant in my whole entire life. S for Saranghae, I love Korean drama, I started watching last year, actually. And it has been a black hole since then and because of my love for them, I learned basic one Korean. A for Authentic, so what you see is the real me and I hope to enjoy this Miss Universe journey being my true authentic self. So that's me and I'm Isa."
After having no internet for one week you discovered that you had 1,000 unread emails and can only answer 100 of these, how will you choose which ones to answer?
"Okay so definitely, I will use the flagged important emails so there's an outlook option. I believe that we can check and filter it in a way that we can choose the urgent ones or the important ones. So I will definitely do that feature for reading my emails."
If you could change something about yourself what would it be and why?
"If I could change myself well in terms of physicality, I know there are a lot of things to improve on but I wouldn't want to change anything because you know, I want young girls to feel beautiful in their own skin no matter what they are given. Or, yeah, I just want young girls to feel inspired and empowered in their own skin. So I don't want to change anything about myself."
How has the pandemic challenged you?
"The pandemic has challenged me to become a better and more strategic person, especially in the workplace. So as HR, I'm used to face-to-face assessments, interviews, and engagements. And of course, we had to adapt and learn new ways of working. So I had to, you know, shCoordinatorot my work into the virtual format. So I… because of that I became more resourceful and adaptable to the current situation. But yes, definitely, all, everyone, can relate that it has been…"
5: Megan Julia Roa Digal (Bukidnon)
"Hi, I am Megan Julia Roa Digal, 25 years old, from the province of Bukidnon. I have been working as an OFW for three years in Phuket, Thailand as a Marketing and Communication Coordinator at a hotel. So when I'm not working, I love to surf and surf skating, also eating. And a few lessons that I have learned living the island life include being grateful, living in the moment, and making the most out of the situations that life gives you. Just like right now, I am in quarantine but I am making the most out of the very limited resources that I have. Also aside from being very spontaneous, it has taught me to be determined and persisted…"
What event in history would you have loved to experience yourself?
"One event in history that I would have loved to experience is the Battle in Mactan in Cebu. Although, because a lot of people have different versions of it. And for me to be able to see that historic moment is probably one for the books."
How would you encourage someone who doesn't care about pageants to help with your cause?
"To encourage someone who doesn't care about pageants, to support me in my cause is to tell them that being in a beauty pageant gives you a great platform to voice out all the things that you're passionate about. In my case, it is diversity and inclusion when it comes to beauty - for us to be able to acknowledge and to be more accepting to the different beauties of the Filipina. So that is one way that I would…"
How has the pandemic challenged you?
"This pandemic has indeed brought a lot of challenges and hurdles to me, however, it has made me stronger, more resilient, and more persistent. And it made me be a beacon of hope to the people around me, especially now in this situation. I was able to get out of Thailand and find a way to make it here, to the Philippines, despite all the protocols and changes in rules and the canceled flights. It has been like a story of hope for everybody out there."
- Beatrice Luigi Gomez (Cebu City)
"Hello, everyone, good afternoon. I'm Beatrice Luigi Gomez. I'm 26 years old, and I'm from Cebu City. I love sports and my favorite game is volleyball. And when I have free time, I go to the beach and I do scuba diving. And when I want to spice up my workouts, I do a few rounds of boxing and I do most of these things with my girlfriend Kate, we've been together for six years, going seven in a few months. And in the height of the pandemic last year, we adopted a pusang Pinoy and we named him after a chocolate bar, his name is Twix, and I'm very obsessed with my cat."
If you have the opportunity to live for 200 years, would you do it?
"If I had the opportunity to live for 200 years, I would definitely do it. In just a few years time, we try to crunch everything that we can, to be able to do a lot of things and imagine the things that we can do if we live for 200 years, so I definitely will."
Do you think that being a role model gives the people the right to know everything about your personal life?
"I believe they only need to see the goodness in me and not literally everything, especially not my personal life. But they just have to filter out the things that they can learn from."
How has the pandemic challenged you?
"The pandemic really did challenge especially my mental health in the past year. And this year, I struggled a lot and I wanted to overcome all of those weaknesses especially my social anxiety. I had overcome it in Binibining Cebu and when we were in a lockdown, I was forced to retract from society again and now I'm glad to be able to be in front of everyone again through Miss Universe Philippines."
- Simone Nadine Bornila (Marinduque)
"Hello everyone, so a few things about me that aren't typically on paper is that I've actually done ballet, musical theater, and choral competitions when I was younger. I'm also raised by two gay men, so you can just imagine how ecstatic they are, knowing that their only daughter is very much interested in pageantry. And I also have a pageant sister, actually in India, and she's also vying for her country's crown, so we're really, really hoping to see each other again on the international stage."
"Do you think that today's youth are facing greater pressure than previous generations, if so in what way?"
"I think that today's youth is definitely experiencing much more pressure compared to other generations, especially with the advancement of social media, of technology in overall. Because, you know, we're more exposed to the ideal standards that society put up as to how a person should be and that's why I think that, you know, that's it's more difficult right now for us."
Who do you think is the most influential Filipino today?
"I think that the most influential Filipino today is, I still think it's Miss Pia Wurtzbach. Of course, I remember how she competed, and she was very much persevering through it all. And I think that that's something that I really admire. It's something that every young girl admires from her, she taught me a lesson that I could apply in my everyday life, and that's to never give up on something that you really want."
How has the pandemic challenged you?
"I think that the pandemic has definitely challenged everyone because it changed the way that we live our everyday lives and so although it may be, it may have been challenging, I think that it's also refreshing because it gave us a new perspective as to how we can go about doing things."