Miss Eco PHL Maureen Montagne: Bashing is just a projection of insecurities

If you want to be famous, you have to prepare to be scrutinized. Fame and toxic remarks seem to go hand-in-hand, which means if you want to make it big, you need to learn how to handle mean comments.

Miss Eco Philippines 2018 Maureen Montagne has had plenty of practice. She told GMA News Online that she's been modelling since she was five and she's heard it all. 

"From early teenage years, I've been told you're too big, you're too short, you're too this, you're too that," she shared.

The Fil-Am beauty queen has chosen to deal with these remarks with grace. Instead of dwelling on it, she turns it into something constructive — not just for herself, but for others, too. 

"For the people who bash me, I just see it as them expressing their insecurities, so maybe if somebody comments on my weight then I'll talk about body positivity. I try to take the negative things and turn them into positives."

"How can we help, this is clearly an issue. Let's try and fix it," she said.

Maureen wishes it were different, but she acknowledged that having thick skin is a must when you choose to present yourself in public like in pageants. 

Even if "beauty" is in the pageant, Maureen believes that what people find attractive is still subjective. She added, "As long as you feel beautiful then I think you'll be successful."

Maureen during the press presentation for Miss World Philippines 2018. Photo: Aya Tantiangco.

This is part of the reason why Maureen still embraces the controversial swimsuit portion of pageants. For her, it's a showcase of a candidate's discipline and that has nothing to do with having a certain body type. 

"I think if you actually looked at our Top 7 for the beach beauty award, we all had different body types," she said. 

"I do believe that if a girl wants to wear a one piece and a sarong, let her. Because you carry your swimsuit with confidence, that's what matters, not necessarily your measurements or your weight." 

Maureen will be representing the Philippines in the Miss Eco International pageant in Egypt, to be held in 2019. — GMA News