MJ Lastimosa explains why beauty pageants matter
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MJ Lastimosa has a message for non-believers of beauty pageants: “I had to witness it myself to believe that pageants actually matter.”
Miss Universe Philippines (MUPH) 2014 MJ Lastimosa revealed that she originally did not see the value of beauty pageants until she experienced it herself.
In the latest podcast episode of Shero PH, the beauty queen spoke about the Filipinos' unrivaled passion for pageants and her experience vying for the Miss Universe Philippines crown three times before finally earning it.
She also shared that competing in beauty pageants transformed her into a believer in its ability to inspire change in the community.
“I had to witness it myself to believe that pageants actually matter. Growing up back in the province where surviving is what we are working for - to just have food on the table and to just finish our studies…I had to really see it for myself to believe that there is actually a place for pageantry in my life,” she said.
MJ recalled winning her first pageant in Davao and realizing that this was her opportunity to serve her purpose. Aside from discovering new things about herself and realizing her life's direction, she also found greater meaning in contributing to society through offering help to other people.
The Filipino-Arabian beauty queen emphasized that the value of beauty pageants has evolved beyond the physical, saying, “Pageantry is not just seeing beautiful faces and appreciating the beauty of women but it's also hearing their voices and giving them the power to make a difference. It's also pushing these women to actually be able to use their own power to make a difference.”
Asked the same question from the pageant eight years ago, MJ reinforced that the greatest contribution of Filipinos to the world remains the same: their perseverance.
“It's still the perseverance of the Filipinos. It's been so hard during this pandemic…[but] even though all of these things are happening, you can still see how a Filipino can persevere in the middle of any given situation,” she said.
Since her 2014 reign, MJ has ventured into the entertainment industry through her many acting and hosting endeavors.
Watch the beauty queen's full Shero PH episode here.
Meanwhile, check out all the times MJ Lastimosa proved she's the ultimate spirit animal in the world of pageantry.
