Gloria-fied beauty

MANILA, Philippines - For a number of reasons, 1969 was a year to remember. Beatles fans remember 1969 as the year when the Beatles gave their last public performance on the roof of Apple Records. The rest of the music scene saw one of the watershed events in music history that year: the Woodstock Festival. It was also the year when Neil Armstrong took one small step for man, and one giant step for mankind. And in the world of beauty pageants, 1969 was the year when the Philippines made its mark on the biggest pageant stage, as Gloria Diaz took home the coveted Miss Universe crown.

Many believe that beauty queens are all about the superficial; those people have obviously never met Gloria Diaz. There is definitely more to this former beauty queen than meets the eye. In her youth, Diaz never planned on becoming Miss Universe. Instead, she was on the other side of the dream spectrum, and had her eyes set on a more serious future. “I always wanted to become a lawyer,” she says of her pre-pageant ambition.It wasn’t until she gave a spontaneous “yes” to an invitation to join the pageant world that Diaz gave up her dreams of becoming a lawyer. And even during the Miss Universe pageant itself, Diaz awed the audience with her depth, giving the simplest yet wittiest answer during the question-and-answer portion. (When asked what she would do if a man from the moon landed in her hometown, she answered, “I guess since he has been in the moon so long he would enjoy anything that an ordinary man would.”)

Asked why she decided to join beauty pageants, she answers, “Someone asked me, and I thought, ‘Yeah, I like that!’ It wasn’t something I planned or anything. I think I’m very spontaneous, even today.”

Fun is something innate in Diaz, probably because of her very spontaneous personality. Her venture into acting was just as spur-of-the-moment as her decision to join pageants. That’s just how she is: she doesn’t take anything too seriously; she just focuses on the fun side of what she’s doing. For instance, when asked what her fondest memory of Miss U 1969 was (other than winning), she answered, “All the cute guys!” On the other hand, when asked what problems she had during the pageant, she answered, very simply, “None.”

More than being Miss Universe, Diaz is also Mrs. Mom. She did a splendid job of raising her two daughters and one son on her own. Her daughter, Isabelle, is the face of a number of ad campaigns. But just like her mom, she balances beauty with brains, and is currently studying to become a doctor. Her other two children, Ava and Rafael are pursuing degrees in business. Talking about her children, one notices a certain sparkle about Diaz, even brighter than when the light strikes her Miss Universe crown.

This proves that the one thing that reigns supreme in the life of this queen are her children. “More than anything, what I really want is for my children to be happy, and to be doing what they really like.”

Question-And-Answer Portion

We put the former beauty queen on the spot, with Miss Universe-worthy questions:

SUPREME: What would you tell our new President, if you had the chance to meet him?

DIAZ: I’d tell him to send Kris to the States, so he can focus on his job; to just do his thing; and to not think of the elections to come!

If Donald Trump came to the Philippines, what would you do as his host?

I’d bring him to Palawan. Our resorts there are so beautiful. I’d let him eat Filipino food, especially Bicol food. And I’d let him eat lechon, and our fresh seafood. They don’t get that in New York.

What is the essence of the Miss Universe beauty pageant?

It’s a way to admire beauty. But it’s not just physical. It’s for women to project themselves physically, mentally, and even spiritually, for instance, through charity. That’s what Miss Universe is all about; the way the woman projects herself.