Remaining relevant even after the crown

Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, Miss Universe 2015

What is life like after the crown?

Life after the crown is hectic. But thank God it’s hectic. I don’t complain if I don’t have a rest day.

How do you stay relevant after your reign as Miss Universe 2015?

I stay relevant by doing a lot of things. I try to make myself as visible as I can so I can be relevant. So people know that I’m working. Going back into acting or modeling. Every girl is different. Some girls, after passing the crown, they want to be private, go back to their families in their countries, go back to their own jobs.

 Some girls want to venture into modeling and acting, that’s kind of like me. In my case, I enjoy doing this and it just feels natural to me. I would be sad if I stop working. I just kind of get used to working a lot.

What do you consider is your significant contribution to Philippine society?

It’s still my advocacy for HIV and AIDS awareness. That no matter how busy I am, that advocacy will always be a priority.

Growing up, did you know you were beautiful?

No. Definitely not. I was insecure, shy. I doubted myself a lot. Yeah, I’m tall but I was awkward. I just focused on things that I knew I was good at. Maybe I was not the prettiest that time but I knew my grades were good. My favorite subjects were History and English. I hated Mathematics.

Who is your favorite historical character?

Cleopatra. I like women who are powerful despite their interesting ways of showing their power.

You are very prim and proper. Have you done anything scandalous in your life?

The most scandalous I’ve done in my life — I played around with guys hard. (Laughs) Like lead them on and then in my head this is not going anywhere but just for the sake of it.

Does it bother you that you won’t be relevant anymore one day?

I don’t think of it that way. When one door closes, another one opens. I don’t think being relevant means you have to be in the public eye. That’s not the measure of success. People can be successful without having to be on TV every day. It does not mean that you don’t see people on social media, they are not there anymore and they are not working on their goals anymore.

I know one day I will probably want to lie low and be not visible in the media. Though not in the nearest future.  Not anytime soon though. But I will be totally fine with it. I’ve done my job, done my bit, I’m good now, I can go on vacation for a long time. But I am aware of that. Of what the future holds.

What is your greatest contribution as a human being, not as a Miss Universe?

It would have to be that I was able to help out my family at a young age. I was the breadwinner of my family since I started modeling and dabbling in showbiz at 11. That was a good contribution not only to the people that I was working for at that time but people who knew about it. They were aware that somebody as young as me could help and step up. Walang pinipiling edad ang pagtulong.

What lessons did you learn from your German father?

He taught me discipline and quality over quantity. He also taught me punctuality. The importance of being curious and seeking knowledge. He always wanted me to go further. Be independent.

Lessons from your Filipino mother.

She is strong. Brave. She does not look back. My late father was laid-back, disciplined and everything was calculated. He followed his mind. With my mom, she follows her instinct and heart.

If you were not a beauty queen and an actress, what would you be doing now?

I wanted to take up Psychology in college. (However, I finished a course in Culinary.) I was interested in knowing how the mind works. What makes people happy. What makes people depressed. Why are there illnesses? I want  to know more about them. It just makes me wonder what people have to go through to be there.