Binibining Pilipinas queens visit Philippine Children’s Medical Center, spends time with kids

MANILA, Philippines — The 2019 Binibining Pilipinas queens made the day of the kids at the Philippine Children’s Medical Center a little bit sweeter and a lot brighter last August 8. It was their first official outreach as a group since being crowned after a flurry of media rounds, sponsor visits, and guestings. 

About 50 kids and their parents at PCMC welcomed Miss Universe Philippines 2019 Gazini Ganados, Bb. Pilipinas International Patch Magtanong, Bb. Pilipinas Intercontinental Emma Tiglao, Bb. Pilipinas Grand International Samantha Lo, Bb. Pilipinas Globe Leren Mae Bautista, and Bb. Pilipinas 1st runner-up Aya Abesamis. The queens happily distributed special gifts and treats generously prepared by Dairy Queen for those in attendance.

It was sweet to see the reaction of the children once the Bb. Pilipinas queens went to their respective seats. While some kids instantly connected to their “Ate,” it took some a few minutes to warm up to them, mostly because they were shy. 

These days, it seems that the fastest way to get a kids attention is through gadgets. Patch Magtanong was taking selfies and videos with her new friend. Samantha Lo and her new buddy were watching some videos on her phone. But that was merely the ice breaker that would spark a bond that would ensue.

 

 

As soon as the magic show and the bubble show started, both the Binibinis and the children were equally entertained. The Binibinis gamely participated in the festivities. Emma Tiglao assisted the magician and made a table fly through the air. Gazini Ganados was giddy as she was enveloped by a giant bubble. Probably the pairing that had the opposite expected reactions was when Aya Abesamis held a young boy as they were both put inside the giant bubble – the young boy was unaffected by all the commotion but Aya’s face lit up like a kid enjoying the moment.

 

 

 

 

Shortly after the program, the Binibinis helped served pizza and delicious treats from Pizza Hut and Dairy Queen. Even the queens skipped their diets and enjoyed the food along with the kids.

 

“Maraming salamat po. Thank you for having us. It’s an honor and a pleasure to be here with these kids. Seeing their smiles is overwhelming for us. Awhile ago, I was kinda hoping that we would bring the smiles for them. But then, it was the other way around. They were the ones who made us smile,” Gazini said.

The kids were all smiles and it was also a welcome change of pace for some parents. Many of these young children were battling cancer and blood disorders – to see them laughing, momentarily forgetting any pain was truly a gift.

Emma Tiglao said, “My prayer is to guide them. A simple prayer. Minsan nakakalimutan natin na yun yakap lang ni Papa God yun lang hinihingi para maging strong pa sila.” (Sometimes we forget the hug of God. That’s what we just need sometimes to be strong.)

Leren Mae Bautista fought back tears, even as she was handing out ice cream, “Kumain kayo ng maraming Dairy Queen. Lumaban ka.” (Eat a lot of Dairy Queen. You need to fight it) She went on to say, “Hold on to your faith. Talk to God. Believe that everything will be ok for the next day.”

The Binibinis will be participating in more outreach activities in the coming months. — Rappler.com

 

Voltaire has 10 years experience in the fashion industry. He previously worked with a luxury clothing and accessories brand in Los Angeles, CA. He graduated magna cum laude from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, major in Fashion Design. He also holds a BS in Applied Economics and BS in Marketing from DLSU. He is now doing real estate but finds ample spare time to pursue his passions.