BAGUIO CITYPIA) -- An Ibaloy beauty will represent the province of Benguet in the Miss Universe Philippines 2023.
Joemay-a Leo of Tuba, Benguet, made it to the Top 40 aspirants of the Miss Universe Philippines 2023 over the weekend.
In an interview, Leo said that she will continue to advocate cultural awareness and sensitivity especially among the youth, and empowering women and mothers.
“I will promote the rich culture not only of the Ibaloys of Benguet and the Igorots of the Cordillera but also of the whole indigenous people and the indigenous cultural communities,” Leo said in an interview during the sidelines of the Ibaloy Day celebration in Baguio City on Thursday(February 23).
She said that one way of promoting the rich cultural heritage of the indigenous people is to showcase the traditional textiles and weaving which she has been doing since she was 15 years old.
Leo wore a devit and kambal, a traditional Ibaloi attire, during her interview and screening where she was selected to be part of this year’s prestigious pageant.
Representing the province of Benguet and the Cordillera region will surely uplift the indigenous people particularly the Ibaloys. This will resolve several misconceptions about the Igorots and prove that Igorots are for world class competitions and pageants.
Leo is also keen in promoting the empowerment of women especially mothers like her. She said that the focus of the Miss Universe pageant is to promote the empowerment of women and this is also her advocacy.
This year, the Miss Universe organization has allowed mothers and wives to participate in the competition. However, candidates should still be between ages 18 to 28 years old.
In its more than 70-year history, the Miss Universe organization has only allowed single women who “must not have never been married, not had a marriage annulled, nor given birth to, or parented a child” to compete.
Leo is among the four mothers in the 2023 Miss Universe Philippines competition.
A graduate of the University of Baguio, Leo has won numerous awards in beauty pageants which include Miss Tuba 2014, Miss Benguet 2014 first runner-up, Miss Baguio 2015 third runner up and Miss Cordillera 2016. She also represented the province in the Miss World Philippines pageant in 2018. (JDP/ RMC- PIA CAR)
