Newly crowned Binibining Pilipinas beauty queens paid tribute to their mothers and single moms as they thanked them for their contributions to family life.
Miss Universe Philippines Rachel Peters said that her mother always taught them the value of hard work.
“She led a very simple childhood in a very small town in Bicol. They didn’t have much but she has lots of brothers and sisters. They were a big family. She moved to Bahrain where she met my dad. She and my dad came from a very different background. He’s from England and she’s from the Philippines. Growing up, I get the best of both worlds because they taught me the values that were important to each of them. My mom always wants us to work hard. She always taught us to be respectful and mindful of other people’s feeling,” said Peters during an exclusive interview at the Bb. Pilipinas office in Cubao, Quezon City.
Asked what song she would like to sing for her, Peters said: “Just because of the memories, I would sing ‘Mama’ by the Spice Girls. I used to sing that to her.”
Miss International Philippines Mariel de Leon said that her mother actress Sandy Andolong has been very supportive of her goals.
“I love her so much because from the start, she has been supportive of whatever I want to do, whatever job I want, as long as it’s good for me. And of course, sometimes I go down to the paths that aren’t really good but at the end of the day, she always chooses to give me that motherly love,” said De Leon.
De Leon added: “I know she loves Barbra Streisand. I want to sing her ‘Nothing’s Gonna Harm You’ from Sweeney Todd.”
Bb. Pilipinas Supranational Chanel Olive Thomas said that her mother is everything to her.
The Filipino-Australian beauty queen said that she would love to sing “I Believe I Can Fly” for her mother. “I don’t know but every time I was asked to sing a song, I always sing ‘I Believe I Can Fly’ and now it’s in the news. So I don’t know.”
Bb Pilipinas Grand International Elizabeth Clenci described her mother as bubbly and caring. “She studied in Cebu and she’s one of seven children. She doesn’t always show it through affection but she shows it through her action.”
The Filipino-Romanian beauty queen said that she always sing “Immortality” to her mom. “That’s her favorite song by the Bee Gees and Celine Dion. I sang that during the Independence Day in Canberra for the Filipinos. She would tell me, ‘Day! Please sing that song, it’s my favorite.”
Bb. Pilipinas Globe Nelda Ibe said that her mother has been an inspiration to her. “My mother gave birth to 10 children. From the eldest I’m the sixth. So I really salute my mother. She’s been an inspiration for me. Lahat ng ginagawa ko para sa kanya. So I want to be like her. Pero ‘wag naman yung 10 children. I can’t do that.”
Ibe, a pilot, said that she gets teary-eyed every time she would sing “Iingatan Ka” for her mother. “When I hear that song it reminds me of my mom. Napapaiyak talaga ako.”
Bb. Pilipinas Intercontinental Katarina Rodriguez said that she got sad when her mother was not able to see her during the finals.
