A Filipino realtor who is based in Hawaii will represent the Philippines in the Mrs. International Global Classic pageant which will be held in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia on January 26.
Armi Oliver Farinas, 52, of Pangasinan, will compete for the title along with 30 other women from around the world in a pageant for empowered married women.
Farinas and her husband Nestor have three children. She is currently completing her doctorate degree in business administration at the Liberty University in Virginia, USA. She said that she will finish her doctorate degree in two years.
Farinas is no stranger to the world of beauty and fashion having engaged herself on similar projects when she was younger.
Asked about the reaction of her family when she decided to compete in an international pageant, Farinas said: “They are very supportive, although at first I have to explain a lot of things. I told them that the pageant would be a wonderful platform to promote our business with the other candidates.”
“Age is just a number. At any age, you can be what you want to be as long as your heart is in it. You can be what you want as long as you have the faith and determination,” she added.
Ovette Ricalde, national director of Mrs. International Global Classic Philippines contest, said that Farinas holds a dual citizenship. She is an American and a Filipino.
But Ricalde said that Farinas is qualified to join the pageant and represent the Philippines because she also owns a Philippine passport.
When she was asked a theoretical question on which citizenship she would choose, Farinas said: “I’m a proud Filipina. I would choose the Filipino citizenship. I’m closer to the Philippines. My relatives are here.”