10 things you don’t know about Miss Universe-PH Ariella Arida

Kai Magsanoc

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Get to know our country's rep to the Miss Universe 2013 pageant

ON HER WAY. Miss Universe-Philippines 2013 Ariella Arida leaves Oct 21 for Moscow, Russia. All photos by Niccolo Cosme for Rappler

MANILA, Philippines – “It’s a calling. It’s a passion. It’s my dream.”

Miss Universe-Philippines 2013 Ariella Arida is set to fly to Moscow, Russia on Monday, Oct 21, for the Miss Universe 2013 pageant. It will be held on November 9.

The 24-year-old beauty queen sat down with Rappler in a fashion and beauty photoshoot and allowed us a glimpse into the side of the “reserved” beauty queen we don’t always see.

To many pageant fans, Ariella is still a mystery.

As a primer to our exclusive video interview, here are 10 things we learned about Ariella Arida:

1. She is excited to experience her first winter

“I’m so excited to go to Russia and to experience what’s it like to be there, especially winter. It’s my first time to experience cold weather and I heard it’s really going to be cold in Russia, especially in November. I’m really excited.” 

2. She has had to gain weight 

“I have to really work hard for my body, because when it comes to Miss Universe, slim is not enough. You have to be toned. I was a little bit skinny so I had to gain some weight and get toned. I’m still working on it.”

3. She was boyish growing up

“I never thought that one day this dream of mine [to be a beauty queen] would come true. I was sporty when I was young. My friends will tell you I was boyish. I never wore heels until I was 21.”

4. Bb Pilipinas was her first major pageant

“After college, I modeled for a year. I was a technical sales executive. When the opportunity to join Bb Pilipinas came, I had to resign from my job and focus on the competition. Thank God my hard work paid off!”

5. She is under the wing of training group Aces & Queens

“They saw my potential of becoming a beauty queen someday. At first, I really didn’t think I could do it. I didn’t even place in my first [small] pageant. I thought it wasn’t for me. [Aces & Queens] believed there was something in me and that I could do it. They taught me everything — how to walk in heels, how to pose, how to answer, how to mingle with people.”

6. She loves junk food

“Since I started going to the gym last January I’ve had to cut rice and salt. My trainer told me that even if I was slim I had to work on the water retention in my body caused by salt. I used to eat a lot of salt because I loved junk food. I’ve also had to resist eating sweets which I would [still] crave for.”

7. She works out up to 6 hours a day

“Before Bb Pilipinas, I would go to the gym 3 times a week. Now that Miss Universe is coming, I would go 3 to 4 times a week. I would train for two hours, sometimes 3 or 4. The longest is 6 hours because of core and one on one classes.”

8. Her favorite color is white

“It feels fresh when you wear it. It can go with everything. It also symbolizes purity.”

9. She would like to know more about the pork barrel issue

“If I were a government official, I would be a senator. I would like to know more about pork barrel and how the government is managing it [and the issues around it]. My primary advocacy is also education [my parents are both teachers], so if I am given the chance to be a senator, I would work on that.”

10. She’s on social media

“My Twitter and Instagram are both @araarida. I have a Facebook fan page, Ariella Arida. The positive energy from the fans is a great form of support for me already. Seeing all the encouraging comments on social media motivates me to win the crown and to be a good representative of our country.”

Like any beauty queen who has had to represent the country in an international competition, Ariella is asking for our positive energy and complete support.

“By simply believing that I could do it, that would mean a lot already. Just believe, believe, believe that I can do it.” – Rappler.com


Watch out for the exclusive Rappler interview coming soon.

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