MANILA, Philippines – The 5 big winners of the Binibining Pilipinas 2013 pageant shared their hopes, dreams, and anxieties with the press in a gathering last April 23 in Gateway Mall, Cubao.

Miss Universe-Philippines Ariella Arida, Bb Pilipinas-International Bea Rose Santiago, Bb Pilipinas-Supranational Mutya Datul, Bb Pilipinas-Tourism Joanna Cindy Miranda, and first runner-up Pia Wurtzbach will soon begin rigorous training to prepare for the international pageants they will compete in.

Pia will replace any of the 4 queens in the event that they are unable to compete.

• READ: Binibining Pilipinas 2013 winners crowned
• READ: Miss Universe Philippines 2013: ‘I’m prepared’

Give it their all

Clad in short dresses and shimmery sky-high heels, the first thing the new beauty queens did was to assure the press that they would do their utmost in their respective competitions.

“Alam ko malaki ‘yung responsibility ko ngayon dahil this time it’s not just for myself pero para sa ating bansa rin (I know it’s a big responsibility because this time, it’s not just for myself but also for our country),” said Miss Universe-Philippines Ariella Arida.

“Sana mas suportohan niyo ako sa international pageant at sinisigurado ko po sa inyo na hindi mababaliwala ‘yung suportang ibibigay niyo sa akin. Gagawin ko po ang lahat nang magagawa ko para this time, makuha po natin ang matagal na nating hinahangad na korona (I hope you all support me even more for the international pageant and I can assure you that your support will not be wasted on me. I will do all that I can so that this time, we attain the crown that we have wanted for such a long time).”

Miss Supranational Philippines Mutya Datul quipped, “I will do my very best na makuha natin for the first time ang crown na Miss Supranational (I will do my very best to get the Miss Supranational crown for the first time).”

As the contestant to the most anticipated pageant, Ariella faced questions on how she would prepare for Miss Universe.

She replied that her first order of business would be to improve her physical appearance through toning. After all, she said in Taglish, “before you are chosen as a semi-finalist, it’s important that you have the body and the face.”

She will focus next on improving her walk (Janine Tugonon lit the Miss Universe stage with her “cobra walk”) and projection. Communication skills are the next point of improvement on her list.

Life-changing

The ladies all agreed that ever since winning the pageant, their lives have taken an amazing turn.

“Now, people are looking up to you,” said Ariella in Taglish.

“Dati siguro 300 lang mga followers ko sa Twitter. Ngayon, 3,000 na (Before, I had only 300 followers on Twitter. Now, it’s 3,000.).”

Miss International-Philippines Bea Rose Santiago said that it’s trickier walking down the street now that people know her name. Winning her crown has also made her feel “like I’m someone now.”

But first runner-up Pia Wurtzbach says despite all these big changes, they still act the same way they did when they were Binibining Pilipinas candidates.

“Nothing has changed in our personalities. We’re all friends,” she adds.

For Pia, all the attention they’re getting can eventually be used for good.

“Finally, we have a voice. People listen. They want to know what our thoughts are. It’s a good position to be in…We can influence other people and finally make a change in our own way.”

Looking forward, the queens shared what they think sets them apart from the candidates they will face in the international pageants.

Ariella thinks her unique advantage is the Philippines’ streak of runner-up placements from Venus Raj in 2010 to Janine Tugonon in 2012.

The pressure she faces because of the stellar performances of her predecessors is something she “will take as an advantage because it will push me harder to win the crown.”

Her personal trait of “focus and determination” is also a strength. Ariella confirmed rumors that she has decided to stay single up until the Miss Universe pageant (the date and venue of which have not yet been released) so she won’t get distracted.

For Miss Tourism-Philippines Joanna Cindy Miranda, it’s her independence that makes her “unstoppable.”

“I grew up away from my parents…From Nueva Ecija, I went to Cabanatuan, Baguio, and then Manila. I was really independent in choosing what to do. Unstoppable means I don’t give up easily, I’m not discouraged easily,” she said.

Bea thinks her winning personality stems from a childhood that had her moving from one side of the globe to the other.

“I grew up in the province of Masbate and I moved to the big city in Toronto, Canada so I have both worlds of experience from [being] a probinsyana to a big city girl.”

This has made her “very flexible and very outgoing. I can relate to anything.”

Mutya said her life experiences help her deal with the pressure.

“Nasanay ako sa mga pagsubok, hinubog ako sa mga problema, nasanay ako sa mga pressure (I got used to hardships, I was formed by my problems, I got used to all the pressure),” shared Mutya.

“Inisip ko ‘yung buhay namin na nalampasan ko so naniniwala ako sa sarili ko na malalampasin ko rin ang pressure sa Binibining Pilipinas (I thought of our life that I overcame so I had faith in myself that I would also overcome the pressure of Binibining Pilipinas).”

A beginning

Coming so close to a crown this year despite being a pageant neophyte, Pia confirmed that she plans to join Binibining Pilipinas again next year. Training with this year’s winners will definitely be an advantage.

“This is a good way for me to gain more experience, magagamit ko next year. I’ll be able to learn from the girls as well. They’ll be able to teach me what they know,” she enthused.

“I really feel I haven’t reached that goal yet. This is just the beginning for me.”

The same can be said for all of them as every passing day brings them closer to their pageants. – Rappler.com