MUPH bets foster women empowerment
THE Miss Universe Philippines (MUPH) candidates representing the province of Bukidnon and the City of Manila are setting up a campaign to remind the public that pageants are a successful means of bringing awareness to the determination and strength of women.
In an interview with The Manila Times, Natasha Jane Bajuyo of Bukidnon and Keana Ysabel Macuja of Manila addressed their motivations for fighting violence as women and providing emotional support to single mothers.
Bajuyo is currently a fourth-year BS Biology student at Central Mindanao University, specializing in molecular biology.
She said she represents every woman and child from a provincial land who is brave enough to dream big. This, she said, distinguishes her from the other candidates.
“My cause is all about violence against women and their children, which I call ‘Project Babae.’ It aims to spell out the difference between treating women rightly and respecting their dignity in all aspects,” Bajuyo said.
“I am all for reeducation, and I want to start with its strict implementation from the roots of my province, especially our communities and the indigenous communities where information needs to be disseminated properly — one indigenous community at a time, one affected family at a time, if I must.”
Macuja, on the other hand, is a second year student at De La Salle College of Saint Benilde, taking up a bachelor degree in real estate management.
She told The Times that she is a rookie in pageantry, and this mindset will allow her to be in an “eagerly healthy mood and with a fresh perspective.”
“Being the eldest daughter among three siblings raised by a single mother, I became my mother’s primary emotional support system, especially during the most trying of times. That is why my main advocacy is to empower single mothers through emotional and communal support,” Macuja said.
“I aim to raise awareness towards eliminating the narrative of single mothers being ‘alone’ in their journey by creating a community around them, with the goal of providing much-needed emotional support on a regular basis,” she added.
Since 2020, the Miss Universe Philippines organization has led the way in supporting women’s empowerment and diversity.
The organization, led by its national director Shamcey Supsup-Lee, is always working to redefine beauty standards and create an opportunity for women to demonstrate their abilities beyond looks through its national pageant.