Miss Earth Canada 2022 Jessica Victoria Cianchino said that she's honored to represent Canada the second time around in a prestigious competition as she promotes mental health awareness to improve well-being.
"It's an honor. This is the second time that I will be representing Canada in an international pageant. The last time I did was in 2019. During that time it was the global pandemic. So there was a lot of time where I was by myself. Since then I have grown and I have become confident of who I am and the message that I would like to send to the world. So it's a privilege and an honor," said Jessica during an interview in Quezon City recently.
"I'm so excited that it is being held in the Philippines this year as my mother is from the Philippines. So although I am representing Canada, I am also representing the Philippines as a half Filipino-Canadian," she said. "I am excited to travel around the Philippines and meet everyone involved."
Given the chance to tour the country with the girls, Jessica said she would love to go to Palawan and see the eco-tourism sites. "The Underground River is something that I really find amazing."
Jessica also discussed her advocacy on mental health which she admitted is so close to her heart.
"I'm an advoacte of mental health because I lost a loved one to suicide. My cousin was very young and I was only 18 years old. Before this I didn't realize the importance of mental health as a topic of discussion especially among younger generations.
"It may be uncomfortable for a lot of people to discuss but it can happen in a light and positive way. It doesn't have to be serious. And that is the discussion I would love to bring forward.
"And this relates to the environment because my advocacy is eco-therapy, also known as nature therapy. Nature heals. It's not only important to preserve our environment but also our mental health. This is something that I would love to advocate for," the beauty queen said.
Jessica graduated from the University of Western Ontario, with a major in Anthropology and a minor in Women Studies. She is also an entrepreneur, philanthropist and model.
She is the Ambassador of Mental Health for the local non-profit organization YPAM, but her passion for empowering the youth stretches beyond Canada, as she even collaborates with institutions internationally, like the Visions of Hope Foundation located in the Philippines.
Q&A with Jessica
1) You are related to OPM artist Roselle Nava. Share with us about it.
"She's my cousin and in Canada, it's always an honor to mention her as Filipino-Canadians are such big fans of her. She is an inspiration because she started from the button. Not only does she have an amazing voice and she's talented, but I really admire her hard work and drive. So that's something I really look up to her. The last time I saw her was actually a couple of days ago when we surprised her at her house. But before that, the last time I saw her was in 2007. I was very young. But even as a child, I still view her as the same and I still look up to her as a role model.
2) What's the biggest thing you've learned from her?
"The biggest advice she gave me was just be yourself. As I've said, you can have talent, you can have skills on stage but if you were genuine and true to who you are, then that would resonate on stage with people. That's the biggest thing I've learned from her."
3) How do you keep yourself fit and healthy?
"It's important to have a balance. You should go out to the gym and work out physically but you should also rest. But most importantly, have time to look at your mental health because mental health is just as important as physical health. So you have to make sure you're healthy, mind, body and soul. All three must be intact."
4) How do you deal with bashers?
"There is a lot of positivity in the world but you should also expect negativity if you are under the limelight, if you are expressing yourself to the world, then more people would be viewing you. So I think the most important thing to do, uphold what I really like, is those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. So it's important that you know the kind of opinions that you take in. Remember that those in your circle are the opinions that matter the most and also the opinion of yourself. And the only person that can judge you is God."
5) Among the qualities of a Filipino, what are you most proud of?
"Filipinos are known in the world as very hospitable and very kind. That's something I have learned from Filipino culture. But most importantly, it's the resilience I really look up to. Filipinos have the fighting spirit and that is so essential in competing in pageants."
6) Why are Filipinas successful in pageants?
"It is no surprise that Filipinas have taken the pageants under storm. They are doing amazing and I think the main reason why, not only are Filipinos beautiful externally, but they have the brains to back it up and that is important. Pageantry is different from modelling. When you're modelling you're just a pretty face. But pageantry people care about your opinions, how you carry yourself and the message you send to the world. So that differentiates Filipinos from the rest of the world."
7) Are beauty pageants still relevant?
"Pageants are still relevant and they have specific messages like stop the war, beauty with the purpose and of course Miss Earth's advocacy on environmental awareness. So every pageant is relevant especially in empowering young girls and I believe that the advocacy of Miss Earth in environmental conservation is more important than ever due to climate change."
8) What major problem in the world should be solved immediately?
"Empathy is something that should be solved. I believe it's easy to be caught up in our own busy lives but if we have empathy, if we have love, we can not only put ourselves in other people's shoes, but we can relate to the environment as well as we need to heal not only other individuals but every single thing in this world is connected. The faster we realize that the faster we will solve the problem."
The grand coronation of the 2022 Miss Earth pageant will be held at Okada Manila in Paranaque City on Nov. 29.