GRANDPARENTS' DAY FEATURES Grandma Princess is now a Queen
Princess Salome Soriano can now be called a queen at the “young” age of 75. A few weeks ago, she was crowned as the grand winner of Miss Grandma Malabon 2018. She is the ultimate grandmother, not only for what she has shown during the competition, but also for the example she sets for her community in Barangay Tañong.
Even at 75, Soriano is still active. She is the head of the Ministry of the True Church of Christ Jesus where she leads in various outreach. This includes visiting depressed areas, preaching, and spread the Word of God.
“God has blessed me so much, and being crowned the grand winner is for me, another way to fulfill my role. It is another way to reach out more people and spread the teachings of the Church. I am thankful.”
Soriano shared that she used her cash prize to support her small community of scholars who have just started the school year. “I gave all my prize to them and hope that it could somehow ease the burden of the new semester. I also gave a small amount to the senior citizens in my barangay, and threw a small party, which they enjoyed.”
The Grandma Malabon search, a brainchild of Mayor Lenlen Oreta, is a special pageant that pitted together the most charming and smart grandmothers who represent the various barangays of the city. The pageant proved to be more than just finding a role model to uphold the values of the community and highlight the need to respect our elders. The participants saw this as a chance to once more showcase their talents and wisdom, and to prove that getting older does not mean the end of the road. In fact, the top five winners are the perfect representation that “age is just a number.”
The pageant was also a way to discover rare gems among grandmothers in the community. Judith dela Cruz Reyes (3rd runner-up), for example, a housewife and stay-at-home businesswoman, showcased her flair during the talent competition. She wowed the audience with her enthralling performance of combining aerobics, Zumba, folk dancing, and ballroom dancing into one lively ensemble.
“I’ve stayed home most of my life, raising my family while my husband works abroad. So it was nice to be recognized by my barangay as a fitting representative,” she says.
On the other hand, Zenaida Andaya, first runner-up, turned out to be actress Fe Galvez, who was once became leading lady to actors like Dolphy, Jun Aristorenas, and Fernando Poe Jr.
“I’ve had a colorful past, but what I enjoyed most about the pageant was how the community showed genuine care to us grandmothers. During the event, I was feeling sick because I just had my leg operated, but the people from the City Hall made sure I was looked after. It’s a wonderful feeling to be surrounded by people who support you.”
The grandmas also showed wisdom during the competition, something that can only be refined with the passing of time. Second runner-up winner Norma Bustamante from Barangay Tugatog showed that no matter how much hardships one will experience, one should never give-up.
“I’ve lived a fulfilling life, but I also faced many hardships. I lost my husband at an early age, I closed a business, and even lost all my property to a fire. But I chose to see life as half full. I’m still here, I’m still alive, and I want to show everyone that no matter what happens to you, what’s important is that you remain strong for the people you love. You should invest in yourself, and continue to improve physically, mentally, and spiritually – no matter what your age.”
I’ve had a colorful past, but what I enjoyed most about the pageant was how the community showed genuine care to us grandmothers. — Princess Salome Soriano, Miss Grandma Malabon 2018