READ: Michelle Dee continues her advocacy for people with autism post-Miss World
Despite only landing in the Top 12 of the competition at the Miss World stage, Philippine representative Michelle Dee shares that her mission to raise autism awareness still goes on.
“As I said, the advocacy for me is a lifelong advocacy and mission that I really want to solve or at least help get the message across,” she tells the press at an event held on January 19, at Dencio's Tomas Morato where the beauty queen was named as Autism Society Philippines' Goodwill Ambassador.
“I believe that my partnership with Autism Society Philippines (ASP) and just this advocacy, in general, will already be a part of my life moving forward because it is something that I want to commit to, it's something that I really want to contribute to especially because it's such a close issue to me.”
Michelle even shared that she's quite relieved to know that a lot of people have started reaching out to her after she introduced her advocacy on autism at the Miss World stage.
“While I was in Miss World, I can honestly say that the Head-to-Head Challenges were really the challenges that made me nervous. 'Cause this was the part of the competition where I'm bringing the advocacy in a global stage where everybody's eyes are on you waiting for your answers.
“And I believe that I was able to deliver the message across. I was so proud that people actually started listening, people were responding, and I received a flood of messages from people with similar situations or just people who are struggling to find hope and inspiration.
“So, I'm really happy that despite not bringing home the crown, I was still able to do my purpose there which was to bring awareness to the cause at the Miss World stage.”
Continuing her mission, Michelle will be one of the faces at the ASP Angels Walk for Autism that will be held at the Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday, January 26.
LOOK: Michelle Dee is the Goodwill Ambassador of Autism Society Philippines
READ: Michelle Dee plans to donate a portion of her winnings to patients with autism