Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray: A queen with a golden heart

Win or lose, Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray was determined to continue her advocacies.

This was what Catriona told GMAnetwork.com said in an interview during Olay's newest campaign “Fearless First Steps,” which took place a week before the Miss Universe 2018 coronation night.

The 24-year-old Pinay beauty queen revealed that winning titles was never her main purpose in joining beauty pageants.

“I'm not doing this because I wanna collect crowns, I'm not a pageant girl.

“Even though this is my second pageant, this is not my childhood dream,” answered Catriona, who had previously represented the Philippines in the Miss World pageant in 2016.

The Bicolana beauty continued, “I don't see beauty pageants as the end game. This is only a stepping stone.

“My stepping stone has always been advocacies. I've always been that way ever, ever since, for three years now.”

Catriona was talking about her involvement in the non-profit organization called Young Focus International, whose vision is “to improve the mental, physical and social well-being of young people in poor communities by means of education, health care and personal support.”

Recently, she lent her voice for the song and music video titled "We're in this Together,” which was produced by Young Focus.

Aside from this, she also started a charity project called “Paraiso: The Bright Beginnings Project” when she was competing at Miss World 2016.

With the support of Young Focus, Catriona was able to repurpose an old apartment building in Manila into a preschool to give free education to underprivileged kids in Tondo.

Catriona's sincere passion to help kids achieve their dreams was very evident in her opening statement during the Miss Universe 2018 coronation night.

She said, “Working in some of the poorest areas of my country, I found that it was a lack of child support, not poverty that killed their dreams.

“A child once told me, 'Cat, that's just not my life and those dreams aren't meant for me.'

“But I stand here today because someone believed in me, and we owe it to our children to believe in them.”

READ: Catriona Gray's winning answer at Miss Universe 2018's Top 3

When GMAnetwork.com asked what she plans to do after her Miss Universe stint, Catriona quickly replied, “Sana ma-pursue yung music ko, yung advocacy ko. Sana.”