Miss Universe Philippines 2018 Catriona Gray and other Binibining Pilipinas queens lit up the well-attended venue as soon as they arrived for a pocket-interview with members of the press, their first public-meet-and-greet affair since winning their titles last month, held recently at Pizza Hut, Manhattan Row, Araneta Center.
Gorgeous-looking in a red top and white jeans outfit, Gray exuded confidence and warmth fielding questions along with the other titlists during the table-hopping, up-close interviews done in pairs of Bb. Pilipinas-International Ahtisa Manalo with Bb. Pilipinas 2nd runner-up Samantha Mae Bernardo, Bb. Pilipinas Supranational Jehza Huelar with Bb. Pilipinas-Grand International Eva Psychee Patalinjug, and Bb. Pilipinas-Intercontinental Karen Gallman with Bb. Pilipinas-Globe Michelle Theresa Gumabao.
The free-wheeling and engaging exchanges were centered mostly on the beauty queens’ lives after they won and their plans for their respective international competitions. Most, if not all are saying, “It hasn’t’ sunk in yet.”
Gray, who was born and grew up in Cairns, Australia, has a Master Certificate in Music Theory at Berklee College of Music, a Black belt in Choi Kwang Do and loves sketching, painting, writing and traveling.
“I am so excited. I’m willing to work completely well to be the best person that I am come the pageant. I want to give my best effort in all departments of the competition, as a spokesperson for advocacies, the Q&A and Pasarela. I’m focusing in all that aspects,” Gray said upbeat of her chances at the Miss Universe pageant and stressed that she has totally left her Miss World experience behind.
Asked where she gets all the wisdom at such a young age, the 24-year-old statuesque model and singer said, “I feel that at a very young age I am more mature on how I thought. I am a very analytical person, I like to understand the setbacks and challenges in life, why certain things happened, how people think and to learn from them to become stronger, the person that I am today.”
On her being regarded as the girl to beat at Miss Universe 2018, Gray answered, “It’s so uplifting and inspiring to know that so many support me. I am so grateful to those who believe in me, who are so passionate about my journey in the pageant…that really made me cry.”
And in a very light moment, we asked for her thoughts on one of the most controversial questions during the pageant night—the ‘Build, Build, Build’ program, which a contestant failed to answer.
“I believe in the government’s ‘Build, Build, Build program’ as a strong foundation for national progress, to provide more investments, more needed schools and hospitals and to treat the people at heart,” Gray ended with a smile.
Images by Sonny Espiritu
