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Katarina Rodriguez wants to use Miss World PHL crown to serve Marawi
What is a selfie worth? Beauty queen Katarina Rodriguez in a recent visit to Marawi City was thrown off by the adoration she received from people who were severely affected by the conflict between military forces and ISIS-inspired militants.
"I didn't understand at first...bakit gusto nilang magpapicture [with me]. When I went to Marawi, [I wondered] why are they so happy to see me?" Katarina told members of the press during her send-off party on Thursday, November 8.
The reigning Miss World Philippines said that she realized then that she has turned into a symbol. "I understood the responsibility of being Miss Philippines, being Miss World," she said.
The war may be declared over, but in Katarina's opinion, the more important task at hand is just starting and she wants to use her influence to draw attention back to Marawi City.
"I don't like that people stopped talking about Marawi. Okay, the war is done, there's no violence... but that's just the beginning. That's just the start of what hopefully is not a 15-year redevelopment," she said.
She added, "I would like to shed light back on Marawi."
Katarina described the scene in Marawi as surreal. "It's like your in a parallel universe, it's like your in a different country...it's like you're in a zombie movie set," she said.
"I couldn't grasp anything. There was a school that was completely turned over. No photo, no video can show what happened. 300,000 people were affected. 74,000 families misplaced. These people cannot go home. There is no home."
Despite the widespread devastation, Katarina said that the mood is extremely hopeful.
"It's devastating, but it's extremely hopeful. The children there and the people there, they're incredible. They are exactly what resilience is .... When you meet them, especially the children, they're the sweetest children. They are very optimistic and positive. That just sparks something in me."
Katarina will be carrying that spark with her when she competes in China for the Miss World crown. Even if she doesn't win, Katarina said that she found her purpose in Marawi City and she will continue to do her part to help rebuild it.
Katarina flew to Sanya, China on Saturday, November 10. Reigning Miss World Manushi Chhillar will be crowning her successor on December 8. — GMA News
