By ROBERT R. REQUINTINA
BINIBINI 18 Rosanette Mendoza has given her unsolicited advice to women who have weight problems.
“So para sa mga matataba, dating mataba, feeling mataba, dun sa gustong tumaba, at sa malapit nang tumaba – you are beautiful. Just be yourself. At the end of the day, it is still what’s in your heart that matters,” said Mendoza on her Facebook post few days before the grand coronation of Bb. Pilipinas 2018 beauty pageant.
Mendoza, 26, who is also an entrepreneur from Cavite, said that she is thankful for Bb. Pilipinas for giving her the opportunity to inspire other people.
“And now, just a few more days until the coronation night, I still can’t believe that I’m writing this as your Binibini 18. I’m still in awe.
“I’ve learned that it’s good to have dreams. But it’s better to have goals. Work hard and do whatever you can to achieve them!
Mendoza weighed around 200 lbs. before she competed for the prestigious pageant. With hard work and determination, she achieved her pageant goals.
“Come 2013, I went on with my beauty queen dreams and joined a provincial pageant. Then came my worst nightmare – I was bashed in social media because I was too ‘FAT’ to be a beauty queen. Comments like, ‘hala, parang nanay na’ ‘ano ba ‘yan, bat may naligaw jan,’ and the likes. I have to admit, it almost ruined me.
“I stopped aiming for those crowns. I went on with my life, got myself a pretty cool job at a retail company and even started my own business. I fell in love with food so much, you have no idea. I ate whatever I wanted. As in no control at all,” she recalled.
“It was December 2016 when it hit me – I was almost 90kgs. I knew I lost it.
I got tired easily, my sugar level was high, had a hard time breathing – lahat lahat na. I was very unhealthy.
“Then Miss Universe came to the Philippines early 2017. It was Miss Canada, who got my attention. Confidently beautiful with her body. That’s when I realized, it’s not over. Not yet.
“It has always been my dream to become a Binibini. I knew I had to work extra hard for that goal, my last hurrah to join. I got myself a gym membership, hired a great trainer, prepped meals, diet etc.. lahat ng work out na try ko na ata, bes.
“So last day of applications for Binibining Pilipinas 2018. I wasn’t confident. I remembered the 2013 incident, kasi in reality, my body still wasn’t ‘pageant fit.’ But I tried anyway. Wala namang mawawala,” Mendoza said.
Graduated with a degree in international relations, Mendoza said that she has been joining beauty pageants since she was 15. The first title she won was Mutya ng Bacoor 2007.
