Farm girl from Bogo to Miss International Queen

CEBU, Philippines — Fuschia Anne Ravena had no one else in mind during finals night Saturday of Miss International Queen 2022 in Pattaya, Thailand but her mother who had not lived long enough to witness the fulfillment of her daughter’s dream.

In a Facebook Live interview the morning after her triumph at the world’s biggest pageant for transgender women, the 27-year-old Cebuana shared, “I was just thinking about my mother the entire time, asking her to give me guidance, give me a good fight for this battle because it is not just for me, it is for the whole Philippines and to the LGBT community.”

“Every time I would join a competition she was always there to support me. And this is the biggest pageant I joined, but unfortunately, she’s not here. But I know she was watching over me from up above.”

Ravena, a five-foot-nine stunner and staunch animal rights advocate, is the third from the Philippines to nab the title after Kevin Balot in 2012 and Trixie Maristela in 2015. She had been in the audience in the Thailand-based pageant when Balot won – an experience that would inspire her to one day get her turn on the international stage.

Placing first and second runners-up were the candidates from Colombia and France, respectively.

Ravena was not called for any special award and even slipped during the evening gown segment, which she said was due to her clammy toes from too much nerves.

Asked during the Q&A how she will start the Miss International Queen advocacy and teach the importance of equality if she wins, the Tourism graduate from the University of the Visayas said, “I will start it by influencing other people to spread love, peace, and unity to have world equality because after all, we all live under one sky and we breathe the same air and we all live from differences where love is universal.”

Born in Bogo City, Cebu and currently residing in Barangay Tisa, Cebu City, Ravena began joining barangay pageants at 13 years old. She had been a candidate for Queen of Cebu in 2013 where she was unplaced, and had also participated in Eat Bulaga’s Super Sireyna and Miss Gay Mandaue.

It was in Miss International Philippines 2022 that Ravena reemerged with a much improved look, and more confident communication and pasarela skills after a series of personality development trainings from her Cebu team.

Having been raised in a farm in the northern part of Cebu nurtured her love for animals at the onset, which led to her animal protection advocacy. Spurred by the example of her father who would buy leftovers from fast food chains and feed these to strays, Ravena would later on come up with Save A Stray Sundays wherein she and her friends went around the metropolis to do what she saw her dad did growing up.

“When I return home, the first thing I plan to do is visit my family, especially my father who is suffering from diabetes so he can barely walk. When I called my sister last night, she told me that my father is really so happy,” Ravena said Sunday during the same Facebook Live.

The youngest of seven siblings – among these four brothers who have been strict with her albeit supportive of her gender identity – Ravena counts herself fortunate to have a very accepting family.

“My mother always brought me to the salon to fix my hair and nails. She really wanted me to look like a girl because my elder brothers are very strict. One of them is a policeman and right now he is very proud of what I’ve become,” she told The FREEMAN during her Cebu press conference months back.

In a speech during that same homecoming event, Ravena talked about why she thinks the transgender community is the most vulnerable in the LGBTQIA+ spectrum.

“We have special needs because we undergo different medical, physiological, even mental conditions and procedures,” she said.

“Our gender expression goes to extreme lengths and I hope that there will come a day that we will not be judged mainly by our appearance as a passable woman, but by the content of our hearts, our abilities, and skills, as well as by the way we treat people with generosity, kindness, and love.”