Mela Habijan was only 4 years old when she determined one of the biggest goals in life: to represent the Philippines on an international stage in a beauty pageant. The dream, of course, was fulfilled thanks to the Miss Universe pageant.
A few decades later, after several rounds of both triumphs and setbacks, Mela is exactly where she’d imagined herself as a young child.
Mela won the Miss Trans Global 2020 crown in 2020, in a virtual competition that, in way, involved not just her but her entire family.
In this episode of Rappler Talk, the beauty queen, actress, host, and LGBTQIA advocate talks to entertainment editor Bea Cupin about winning the pageant, her – and her family’s – journey of self-discovery, and why she’ll always put value in engagement and education.
Catch the interview on Wednesday, January 20, at 2 pm by bookmarking this page or by following Rappler on social media. – Rappler.com
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