MANILA, Philippines – R’Bonney Gabriel of the United States, who took home the title of Miss Universe 2022 on Saturday, January 14 (Sunday morning, January 15 in Manila) in Louisiana, USA, clearly takes her Filipino heritage to heart.

In a post-win interview with Thai network JKN18 backstage, she was asked about the first thing she would like to do as the newly-crowned queen, and R’Bonney quipped: “First thing I would like to do is sleep more than four hours, and then eat some ensaymada – that’s my favorite Filipino treat – and I would love to give my family and friends a hug, and just thank them so much for getting me here.”

Ensaymada is a Filipino sweet pastry topped with butter and sugar, often eaten as a snack.

Watch the full backstage interview here:

Calling herself a “very proud Filipina Texan,” R’Bonney has been very vocal about her mixed heritage. She said that after her Miss Texas USA win, several young Filipinas have been messaging her on her social media to tell her that she inspired them to also pursue pageantry. – Rappler.com