Chelsea Manalo
ABANGERS na ang mga Pinoy pageant fans sa sinasabing “pasabog na sorpresa” ni Chelsea Manalo sa pagrampa niya sa Miss Universe 2024 sa Mexico.
Naniniwala ang Miss Universe Philippines organization na magsa-shine nang bonggang-bongga ang bet ng Pilipinas sa naturang international beauty pageant.
Ayon kay Miss Universe Philippines President Jonas Gaffud, at ng iba pang national directors, malakas ang feeling nila na mang-aagaw nang eksena sa Mexico ang beauty ni Chelsea.
“I’m very, very confident that she will be able to pull off a surprise in Mexico,” ang pahayag ni Jonas Gaffud sa isang interview.
Sey naman ni Voltaire Tayag, ang executive vice president ng Miss Universe Philippines, siguradong magmamarka ang pagiging black Filipina ni Chelsea sa Miss Universe 2024.
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“The next five minutes is all going to be about how warm, how authentic, how genuine she is. The glow that comes from within and her authenticity, that’s what they will feel,” sabi ni Tayag.
Dagdag pa niya, “I felt bad for a lot of the mixed heritage Filipinas who are being questioned, it’s not really their fault. A lot of times, Filipinos would want to ask them — are you more Filipino, or are you more your other nationality?
“And I would always say, that’s like asking them to choose between your mother and your father. That’s not something you can choose. You are both,” sabi pa ni Tayag.
“Embracing that diversity and inclusivity — that’s not just something that we say, but something that we practice. In fact, this year, you know we had two black Filipinas compete and two of them ended up winning titles,” dugtong pa niya sa naturang panayam.
Para naman kay Chelsea, “It’s already been an advantage here in the Philippines that we’re already representing multicultural aspects. And to bring that to the universal stage, what more the influence that I can bring, right?
“It’s not just about being a representation of a black woman,” she added. “As what Sir Voltaire said, it’s about the presence and what you can bring to the table.
“As long as I get to Mexico, I just want them to understand how beautiful, how resilient, how powerful a Filipina is,” pahayag pa ni Chelsea.