Kasalukuyan nang nasa Egypt ang beauty queen na si Ashley Montenegro upang maiuwi ang Miss Eco International crown.
Si Ashley ay anak ng dating TV host na si Hans Montenegro at ni Binibining Pilipinas World 1994 Cara Subijano.
Nitong Miyerkules, February 22, 2023, lumipad papuntang Cairo si Ashley kung saan gaganapin ang 9th edition nang nasabing pageant.
Bago tumungo ng Egypt, isang send-off party para kay Ashley ang inorganisa ng Miss World Philippines Organization sa pangunguna ng national director na si Arnold Vegafria.
Naganap ang send-off party noong Martes, February 21, 2023, sa Pandan Asian Cafe sa Quezon City.
Sa nasabing event, confident na sinabi ni Ashley na handang-handa siya para sa kompetisyon lalo't mahigit tatlong taon na siyang nagte-training para sa international pageant.
Kuwento ni Ashley, "I won my first national title in back 2019, and after many heartbreaks, I never got to compete in that pageant.
"So I've been training consecutively, non-stop throughout the pandemic, ready to compete internationally.
"And now, here I am with my second national title. Something that's definitely a shift, quite the pivot. But I'm ready, I'm excited."
Matatandaang kinoronahan si Ashley bilang Miss Charm Philippines nang sumali ito sa Global Asian Model Philippines competition noong December 2019.
Nakatakda sanang lumaban si Ashley sa Miss Charm 2020 pageant sa Vietnam ngunit hindi ito natuloy dahil sa COVID-19 pandemic.
Ngayon, wala nang ibang nararamdaman si Ashley kung hindi excitement para sa kanyang pagsabak sa international stage lalo't marami itong natutunan sa loob ng tatlong taon.
Aniya, "The greatest lesson I've learned is that you can not control the things that are not [or] outside of your own destiny, and that is okay.
"Because what you're going through is what makes you who you are, it makes you strong...
"And it's how you're able to shift, pivot, and manage those misdirections whether you take control and carve a new path for yourself in order to be the very best that you can."
Read: Hans Montenegro's daughter with beauty queen Cara Subijano makes it to Miss World PH 2022
BACK-TO-BACK WIN
Aminado si Ashley na may kaunting pressure itong nararamdaman gayong back-to-back win ang kanyang pakay sa Miss Eco International pageant.
Ang kasakuluyang titleholder ng Miss Eco International ay si Kathleen Paton na mula rin sa Pilipinas.
Ngunit buo ang tiwala ni Ashley na magagawa niya ito dahil na rin sa mga taong tumutulong sa kanya sa kanyang Miss Eco International journey.
Nang tanungin si Ashley tungkol sa kanyang preparations para sa pageant, sagot nito, "Well, I had a lot of time to prepare. I have seen a lot of beauty queens come and go, and thankfully they let me learn from them.
"Initially, with Miss Charm, with Miss World, I was very hands-on because I wanted everything in my wardrobe to have an exact story.
"But this time, I decided to say, you know what, Sir Arnold, my designers Sir Ryan Ablaza, my uncle, and to everyone else, Francis Chee my stylist…I trust you, I trust your vision…
"I’ll wear it in the most beautiful way I can and represent it. Right now is the time where I trust those around me and focus on what's inside my heart."
Isa sa major adjustment ni Ashley matapos itong koronahan bilang Miss Eco International 2022 ay ang pag-adapt ng environmental advocacy sa kanyang pageant journey gayong ibang societal issues/topics ang nauna nitong binigyan ng pansin.
Bahagi ng 22-year-old beauty queen, "I had to go through this different kind of unexpected journey because, one, my charitable causes have always been either with animals, victims of child trafficking or breast cancer.
Mabuti na lang, may kaunting kaalaman at karanasan na si Ashley pagdating sa environmental concerns.
ASHLEY SUBIJANO: ENJOY THE JOURNEY
Wala namang ibang strategy si Ashley upang makuha ang korona kung hindi ang i-enjoy ang pageant at gawin ang lahat ng kanyang makakaya.
Ilan ito sa kanyang mga natutunan niya mula sa pag-o-obserba sa mga beauty queens na sumabak na sa international competitions.
Ani Ashley, "There's been a lot of controversy lately regarding different kinds of strategies for beauty queens.
"I think the best one that will work for me is to really just try to enjoy the moment, have presence of mind, and just pray. Trust in God's plan because ultimately, we have given so, so much.
"And even some people may never truly understand what it takes to be a beauty queen, we know how hard we worked.
"And so we have that self-justification that whatever placement we get, we truly deserve because we gave it absolutely everything."
Ang mga bagay na ito rin ang natutunan ni Ashley mula sa kanyang ina.
"The most common thing beauty queens hear is to have fun and I think, we don't really recognize how helpful that advice is until we're truly in the moment.
"Because the truth is, everything you could have done to prepare is already done before you even arrive in the pageant in which you're competing in.
"Whether it's losing some weight, brushing up on your public speaking skills, or working on your requirements. Those things are finished already.
"So when you're in the moment, just enjoy it and let genuine smile appear on your face."
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