There is no stopping Pauline Amelinckx from vying in the upcoming Miss Universe Philippines 2023 pageant.
Will her charm work this around, her third attempt at bagging the crown?
The 26-year-old Boholana is among the 38 hopefuls introduced to the press during the Miss Universe Philippines 2023 press presentation on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at Marquis Events Place in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
In an exclusive interview with PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal), Pauline admitted she had reservations about competing in the Miss Universe Philippines pageant for the third time.
She said, "This is my third time and, honestly, I was afraid that people would be... naumay sa akin.
"But I guess, I'm so grateful still with the support that I've been receiving from other people. So thank you for that."
Read: Michelle Dee, Pauline Amelinckx, Emmanuelle Vera among Miss Universe Philippines Top 40 candidates
PAULINE AMELINCKX: COMING BACK STRONGER
Exuding confidence and feeling more self-assured than ever she said, "All I can say is that this year, I have a much stronger spirit, that is capable of powering through all the adversities that we meet along the way.
"Like online, on social media, or sometimes, even in person when it comes to body-shaming, for example.
"And with that stronger spirit now also comes the capacity to bring people together for meaningful causes and together, work to create a positive impact."
When asked about her biggest takeaway from her previous Miss Universe Philippines experiences, Pauline emphasized the importance of not fixating on perfection to the point of losing one's authenticity.
She said, "I think this is my biggest lesson actually, to not focus on being too perfect that you forget to be yourself.
"Because there will always be outside forces telling you, 'You should be like this, you should be like that.'
"And sometimes we might fall into the rabbit hole of trying to please every different voice that comes our way and tells us, 'You should be like this, we should be like that.'
"But instead, we should focus on being who we really are.
"Because that's what's unique about us. And it's what will bring people together in the end, it's our personality."
PREPARATIONS FOR THE PAGEANT
Aside from the finale night, Pauline has been diligently preparing for the major events of the Miss Universe Philippines 2023 pageant, specifically the national costume show and preliminary competitions.
Pauline, however, was tight-lipped about the details of her national costume, except one thing.
She told PEP.ph, "I can't share much actually. Of course, we will try to incorporate as much as we can have of Bohol in the national costume. It's... it's not going to be green. That's all I can say."
Pauline has also opted to keep the details of her evening gowns under wraps.
She said, "For the evening gowns, we're just submitting the final sketches. I need to see them also, the final sketches.
"I guess we'll see during the preliminary night and the coronation night, but they're good."
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