Miel Pangilinan opens up about her experiences with body-shaming and how she taught herself to "block out" the constant harassment.
The 19-year-old child of Sharon Cuneta and Kiko Pangilinan delves into body-shaming in an interview with entertainment reporter MJ Felipe on June 3, 2024, for ABS-CBN show On Cue.
She reveals, “This might get dark, but I’ve been told a lot that I was a waste of genes.
“Which is like, oh, it’s a bit… that’s a lot for people to, but yeah, I get these comments a lot.”
Read: Sharon Cuneta posts snaps from daughter Miel's "simple birthday dinner"
Expressing her bewilderment with these comments, she adds: “And a lot of time it’s because, I don’t know, it’s weird, right?
“That you get those, you know, I get those comments and a lot of it are from people that don’t even know me.”
MIEL PANGILINAN NO LONGER AFFECTED BY BASHING
Over the years, Miel has learned how to cope with the harsh remarks, particularly after she began putting her personal life out on social media bit by bit.
“I've been experiencing that for years, ever since the campaign, ever since, you know, so, I’ve kind of developed sort of just an, not an immunity, but just the, I’ve been able to sort of block it out,” she says.
“It’s not, it doesn’t really affect me as much as it used to.”
Although the comments still come daily, Miel has managed to prevent them from affecting her as much as they used to.
“But, you know, those things like it, I get those comments probably every day. Not just about, you know, myself, but also about, obviously, my size.
“People are going to comment on it [because] I don’t look the way they want me to, down to like, you know, how I dress and every thing.”
Miel has decided to live her life for herself and the people who matter to her.
“It sort of became my mantra that there’s nothing that other people can say that can dictate how I live my life.
“Unless my family is the one telling me, I won’t listen to these people.”
Miel says she is determined to live her life on her own terms: “The only people’s opinions that matter are my own and the people that are closest to me— the people that know me the best.
“The rest is noise.”
Read: Sharon Cuneta emotional over Miel Pangilinan's decision to study abroad for college
MIEL PANGILINAN ON FAMILY'S SUPPORT
Attributing much of her strength to the support of her family, Miel particularly acknowledges the role of her parents: “Well, we all kind of work together when it comes to that.
“Obviously, you know my mom and my dad, they’re two very strong individuals. And so, they’ve raised very strong children.
“But, I wouldn’t say that I’m necessarily strong. It’s just that it’s getting there.”
The internet personality mentions that her family's collective strength and support have been crucial in helping her withstand external negativity.
“I’ve been able to learn from my time online, from being with my parents.
“We all work together to support each other, which I think is why I’ve always been able to really withstand the harassment I get from people.
“It’s that I have a very strong support system at home. Everyone is uplifting each other.
“You know, obviously, we’re not the perfect family. But when it comes down to things like this, we’ve always got each other’s backs.”
Moving forward, Miel is assured that no matter prejudice she may face, she can always count on her family’s love and support as sources of comfort and empowerment.
She concludes: “At the end of the day, when I get a hate comment, wala na akong pake because I have a family that loves me and cares for me.
“Takes a while to master the art of the dead man.”
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