Miss Earth 2015 Angelia Ong has revealed that she really got hurt when she was overshadowed by the victory of reigning Miss Universe Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach in December last year.
“Honestly there was a time na iniyakan ko. I won in Vienna on December 5 and Pia won two weeks after,” said Ong when asked if she got disappointed when she did not get the same treatment similar to Wurtzbach as Miss Universe during an interview on “Tonight With Boy Abunda” on ABS CBN recently.
“As a Filipina, I’m so proud of her and I admire here. Nakaka-relate ako sa pinagdaanan nya. It wasn’t easy for me because I also had several pageants before winning this crown;”
“But as Miss Earth nalungkot ako ng konti. Hindi na nagkaroon ng opportunity to have a welcome home parade tapos I wasn’t able to meet the President. Nasaktan po talaga ako,” Ong recalled.
“But this is not just fame. I joined Miss Earth not just for my family but the advocacy of the pageant which is protecting and preserving the environment,” the beauty queen from Manila said.
Ong said that she almost had a chance to meet Wurtzbach in New York.
Just three days before she relinquished her Miss Earth crown on Oct. 29, Ong said that she is ready for her next adventure.
“Hindi ako makapaniwala. Ilang days na lang ililipat ko na ’yung korona. Hindi ko pa rin maisip na ako pala talaga ’yun. Kinakabahan ako at medyo nakulungkot. Syempre a little bit scared but more than anything else, I’m very
excited. Im ready for my next adventure,” she said, days before the grand coronation night of Miss Earth contest.
Asked if she is afraid to be forgotten, Ong said: “I’m not really afraid of it. I think this is just a part of it.
Malulungkot ka talaga but malalampasan mo rin ’yun.”
The Filipino-Chinese model also talked about the legacy she would leave behind as Miss Earth.
“Noong nanalo kasi ako lahat hindi naging masaya kasi everybody was telling me it was impossible to have a back-to-back win especially in an homegrown pageant and I’m a Filipina;
“But I was really proud that I was able to bring home the crown and I won in Vienna, Austria. Siguro aside from the back-to-back legacy, I want my life to be a testimony na dreams do come true. Napaka-importante na naniniwala ka sa sarili mo,” Ong said.
Jamie Herrell of the Philippines was crowned Miss Earth in 2014, giving a back-to-back title for the Philippines with the victory of Ong in 2015.
Ong also said that she is happy to pass her crown on the day of her graduation at the Dela Salle-College of St. Benilde on Taft Avenue in Manila where she finished marketing management.
A total of 83 contestants competed at the 16th edition of Miss Earth pageant held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena last Oct. 29.
Ong said that she has put up her own website angelia.ph and hopes to do hosting stints after her reign.