Beauty & benevolence

She’s beautiful, brainy and benevolent.

Joanne Zapanta-Andrada has gone a long way from being a Bench poster girl. Despite being voted as one of the country’s most beautiful women, a signature model and a co-host for television, Joanne was not content.

Stepping even deeper into the fashion and art industry, this seasoned model took the scene behind the camera and expressed her beauty in a whole different level. This time, the beauty of Joanne’s mind and spirit created a whole new spectrum of knowing her through her first one-woman exhibit "In Repose." She also writes a regular column for the Allure section of the STAR. She comes and goes in the Palace as President Arroyo’s stylist. Joanne’s grandfather and the President’s father were childhood friends.

Not being content with her notable creative pursuits, Joanne created yet another realm of her world. She shared her time and efforts with different outreaches and socio-civic organizations such as UNICEF, UNESCO, Marillac and Basa, Bata, Basa and even went as far as co-founding and heading Develop and Uplift against Abuse and Neglect (DUYAN).

Joanne’s voluntary labor comes with her inclination to empower those who are less fortunate through opportunity and education. Applying the utmost passion in everything she does, it is no wonder that service of this caliber comes naturally to her. Joanne continues to draw inspiration from her own life and willingly shares it with the people within her reach. She shares that "being part of something beyond me is one of the most fulfilling commitments" she has ever undertaken.

Being a mother herself, Joanne finds she is easily drawn to causes involving children. "The stories the sexually abused children shared with me are horrifying. There were cases of children who were mutilated and tortured...some of the children were as young as six years old. It is difficult to listen to these stories and not be profoundly affected," she narrates. Continuously witnessing the resilience and bravery of these young children keeps this socio-civic worker grounded in her principles, beliefs and actions.

Born with extraordinary beauty, Joanne was bound to live a life filled with extraordinary experiences. A woman of exceptional skill and a sharp mind wanting nothing more than to allow others the same privileges she was given.

She relates how she had started the Zonta Makati Center for Sexually Abused Children in Marillac Hills nine years ago. She shares, "Clearly some form of psychological intervention had to be done seeing that the government did not have the funds to answer this need in a continuous basis, I first asked then Senator (now President) Gloria Arroyo for money to start psychological intervention for the girls. I then quickly asked my friends in Zonta Makati for help in order to establish a psychological center. And I am proud to say that Zonta Makati is still funding the center to this day." Joanne’s "nothing is impossible" attitude truly serves as an inspiration for any person to take action.

Achieving the great heights she has, Joanne Zapanta-Andrada was honored by Samsung for her endeavors. Like Joanne, Samsung breaks boundaries and pushes the limit in creating greater advancement.