Reina Filipinas queens Angelica Lopez, Alexie Brooks, and Anne Patricia Lorenzo are more than just pretty faces with glittering crowns on their heads. They also have a purpose: to serve as role models for modern Filipinas.
We got a glimpse of that recently when the three queens shared what winning their respective titles means to them.
“For me, winning the crown is to really live my purpose. I've been an advocate for underprivileged kids since I was 17 years old. And whenever I tell my story of growing up in a humble household, I was very intentional about it,” Lopez, who is Reina Filipinas Grand International 2026, told us during a recent visit to the Manila Bulletin office.
As a pageant veteran, Lopez hopes to use her story to inspire the younger generation to invest in themselves and strive to become better and more productive individuals.
“At 17 years old, I told myself, you know what? I don't want other kids to experience the same way. So winning the title for me is not just about myself. It's for every kid out there that I want to really empower. For them to grow up as better and more productive individuals. Like I've said, my victory is not mine alone. It's for my purpose,” she added.
Meanwhile, Lorenzo, the Reina Filipinas 2026 MGI All Stars titleholder, hopes to pave the way for the transgender community in the Philippines.
“The transgender woman community here in the Philippines is small, so I’m very happy that Reina Filipinas allowed me to represent my community on that stage as the only transgender woman in the pageant.
“After my reign, I want the young trans women who are watching me to remember me as someone who never gives up and never lets other people’s perceptions define me,” Lorenzo said.
Lorenzo also said that even after her reign ends, she plans to continue supporting the Trans Pinay community in her own way.
Reflecting on her pageant journey, Brooks shared how her experiences taught her that winning a crown should mean more than personal achievement.
“When I competed in my first national pageant, I had been through so much in my childhood that I hoped I could achieve something for myself. But I didn’t win,” she recalled.
Her perspective changed when she began competing internationally and eventually joined Reina Filipinas. She realized that her purpose was not simply to win for herself, but to represent her community and inspire young people.
“I realized that I wasn’t just competing as the woman people saw on stage. I was also representing the little girl who was bullied, lost her family at a young age, was raised by her grandmother, and sold fruits and vegetables in the market,” she said.
For Brooks, winning the crown became an opportunity to share her story with people who could relate to her journey and draw inspiration from it.
She said she hopes to be remembered not only for her name, but also for the advocacy she championed and the people she inspired along the way.
“I’m grateful that this victory wasn’t just for me. It helped pave the way for children who dream big but are told their dreams are impossible because they are poor or lack opportunities and connections,” she said.
Looking back on her Reina Filipinas journey, Brooks said the people who believed in her became a major source of motivation.
“If I were doing it only for myself, I don’t think I would have had enough reason to win. But when I looked at the people who believed in me, I realized they saw my story and potential,” she said.
No comments:
Post a Comment