Pageant fans were taken aback by the withdrawal of Krishnah Gravidez as Miss Charm Philippines and her entry into the Miss World Philippines 2024 pageant earlier this month.
Read: Krishnah Gravidez withdraws from 2024 Miss Charm pageant
Opening to PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal), Krishnah shared how she reached the decision to step down as Miss Charm and compete in another national pageant.
Read: Krishnah Gravidez joins Miss World Philippines 2024
She said, "It may seem so abrupt. Like, I announced my withdrawal the night before I announced my candidacy as Miss World Philippines candidate.
"But for me, it took so long. It was months of deciding.
"So, on those months, I gathered the opinions of my friends, my family, acquaintances as well. Of course, they have different perspectives about it.
"And also the pageant fans, they say that I am fit for another pageant."
She added, "When I had a deep introspective, I felt like my values, as a woman and as a beauty queen, [resonates] with the Miss World brand.
"So, I'm looking forward to strengthen my advocacies, my passion, me connecting to the youth.
"I'm very happy with my decision and I'm looking forward for the bigger platform that the world can offer me."
PEP interviewed Krishnah one-on-one during the Miss World Philippines 2024 press presentation and sashing ceremony on Saturday, June 15, 2024, at the Seda Manila Bay in Parañaque City.
KRISHNAH GRAVIDEZ: NEW CHALLENGE
Given her previous national pageant experience and familiarity with the pressure of aiming for a beauty title, Krishnah seems to be surprisingly cool about vying for the Miss World Philippines crown.
In her words, "I think it's an advantage for me that I have been, I can say, exposed in the public for the past years.
"But for me, it's always been, there's always been a pressure. Because if there's no pressure, it's not a competition.
"So, I take it to my advantage to turn that pressure into something that will excite me.
"So, now, I'm just looking forward to know the girls and to be deeper in this competition and to get the Miss World crown."
KRISHNAH GRAVIDEZ: BIGGER PURPOSE
Winning a national crown aside, Krishnah has found a deeper purpose with pageantry, which explained her choice of Miss World Philippines' for its "Beauty with a Purpose" campaign.
She told PEP, "I believe now, I feel like my purpose goes beyond myself.
"It's not about making a name for myself anymore. It's about realizing the impact that I've been given to the youth.
"So, now that I am in this position, I want to grab this opportunity to maximize this efficiently, to reach the youth, the people who look up to me."
More significantly, her exposure in national pageantry is beneficial to her own charity initiative, "Color the World with Kindness," a non-profit project focused on youth empowerment that is particularly close to her heart.
She then recalled how she struggled to earn some income to help her family pay for her schooling.
She shared, "I grew up as an eldest daughter in the family. So, at an early age, I struggled with our lives. So, I had to step up.
"I sold lip tints, flavored drinks, as I said, a while ago. And then, I also had a hard time balancing work and study.
"And then, during the pandemic, I became an ukay-ukay seller. And then, I did all of that out of necessity.
"And that is a problem I think no one deserves. Because most youth here in the Philippines, they experience such struggles.
"And they miss out on their childhood.
"So, when I had given the platform, I established Color the World with Kindness mainly to empower and involve the youth. And, hopefully, someday, it will be bigger.
"We believe in small steps because you cannot start something without those.
"But at the end of the day, we envision to have our own facility, our institution to help these youth explore their academic passions or even their passions outside school."
Continuing her story, Krishnah also cited the times she was approached by aspiring beauty queens and told of how she inspired them in their own pageant journeys.
She said, "For the past few weeks, I've been talking with a lot of beauty queen aspirants and also some of my candidates.
"They were saying that I was the one who inspired them when they joined their regional competition.
"So, it means a lot to me that even though sometimes I do not see it, but I do know that the impact that I have will be so useful for the world."
READ MORE:
- Krishnah Gravidez joins Miss World Philippines 2024
- Bohol's Pauline Amelinckx wins Miss Supranational PH 2023; Baguio's Krishnah Gravidez takes Miss Charm PH 2023 title
- Baguio's Krishnah Gravidez forgoes diet days before MUPH 2023 coronation night
- Miss Universe Philippines 2023 candidates reflect on doing charity in Boracay