Miss International 2023 Andrea Rubio enjoys traveling alone to different places. She had no escort or assistant when she arrived in the Philippines on Wednesday night. Andrea is in town for the 60th Binibining Pilipinas beauty pageant, which will be held at Smart Araneta City on Sunday, July 7.

It's her first time in the Philippines, and she loves it. She enjoys tropical places and wouldn't mind returning to the country for a vacation. She loves the weather, similar to her country in Venezuela, so she has never had difficulty adjusting to the hot weather here. "It's all work here, but I love it! Maybe I'll return soon."

Andrea's fun personality was inspiring during the interview. The 25-year-old beauty queen is fluent in English, which she learned while attending high school and college in Colombia.

During the interview, Andrea shared about the Filipino food she loves, the celebrity she looks up, her advice to future beauty queens, and her plans after her reign as Miss International in November.

Manila Bulletin: Hello Andrea! Welcome to the Philippines. Is this your first time visiting the country?

Andrea: Amazing country. What we have in Venezuela because of the weather is similar to Caracas. The city I was born in. It was when I was on the plane, and I looked out the window. And it was such a beautiful place. And I was excited to come here. I'm staying at the Novotel in Araneta City. it's a beautiful place full of infrastructure. And there's a big mall beside us. There's traffic but it's been amazing.

Manila Bulletin: What Filipino words have you learned so far?

Andrea: Give me a few seconds. Mabuhay and salamat po!

Manila Bulletin: Have you tried any Filipino food?

Andrea: My favorite is chicken adobo. I've been having that for dinner for two days. And today's lunch is my favorite, too. 

Manila Bulletin: You speak good English.

Andrea: I've been studying English since I was a little kid.

Manila Bulletin: How has your reign as Miss International been?

Andrea: It has been such a blast working with the organization because they are flexible in so many things. It's not as straight as people think it is. I live in Venezuela and also in Colombia. I've been traveling a lot in these two places this year. But getting the opportunity to know so many cultures and countries is something only a few people have. So it's a blast to learn so much from your culture for other countries for other people. It's been massive for me.

Manila Bulletin: How has winning Miss International changed your life?

Andrea: It changed me in a lot of ways. It taught me so many things about being a good competitor. Because when you're in Miss International, you're in Tokyo, it's not a bad competition. It's a good competition when you're with other girls and you learn from them. When I got to Tokyo, I lost all my luggage. And the girls lent me so many things. So it's something that maybe you don't see on other beauty pageants, but you see it there.

Manila Bulletin: As Miss International, what are the causes or advocacy you promote?

Andrea: Right now, I'm working a lot of my masterclass where I teach girls to work on what they have with their body, their confidence, how to work also their communication skills that is so important in every field you are in and I've been doing that in my country and Colombia. So it's growing a lot. And it makes me proud because I love teaching other girls with what I have. Maybe I'm not 40 years old, but I've been learning a lot from this experience, making the modeling career as an audio-visual communicator, how to work on your social media in the right way, how to work with brands. So that's what I teach in this masterclass.

Manila Bulletin: Do you know beauty pageants are very popular in the Philippines?

Andrea: Yeah, it's impressive! It's just how it is in Venezuela, only in a few places when you will win a crown. It's very similar. We have a lot of beauty queens that have worn a crown, and it's just how we got it in Venezuela. When we see Catriona (Gray), it's like, wow, a big icon for us, really. Yes, because there's so much love for beauty pageants in our country, something cultural that we share.

Manila Bulletin: On Sunday, July 7, we will crown the next Philippine representative to Miss International. What qualities is the Miss international Organization looking for in the next winner?

Andrea: a very respectful woman who can speak for herself and has a lot of communication skills. It is good working with other people that she is a good learner because you have to learn a lot from Miss International. She's a person who's willing to work hard—one year traveling to the world that's organized. Only some have the opportunity to travel the world. So, it's an opportunity that she has to be proud of and take advantage of her experience.

Manila Bulletin: Your advice to young girls who want to become a beauty queen.

Andrea: The beauty pageant is much more than having just a pretty face. It has the opportunity to speak and communicate with so many people. It's a huge window. The window in Filipino is the same in Spanish. When there is a huge window, you must open it for yourself, your career, your profession, and your growth. It's a huge opportunity.

Manila Bulletin: A celebrity you look up to?

Andrea: Tyra Banks. She has her own America's Next Top Model. I looked up to her when I was little. And she was the kind of personality and energy I wanted to have. She inspires me a lot because she's funny. She can be anything. She's very versatile. So, she inspired me a lot when I was a little girl. I was on a reality show similar to America's Next Top Model in Colombia. But it was girls and boys. Yeah, I won! And it was for the popular vote in Colombia. Even if I am not a Colombian, people supported me. So it was huge.

Manila Bulletin: What are your plans after your reign as Miss International 2023?

Andrea: This has been a big push on my career. I would love to be on TV. I would love to have my own business. And I am still growing my masterclass. I would love an online course to give girls the tools they need to become stronger in their careers. And yeah, I keep working on my visual skills and social media because it's something I like. So I would love to be part of the new TV.