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Para kay Maxine Misa, isang successful businesswoman, malaki ang naitutulong ng beauty pageants bilang isang maganda at epektibong plataporma para sa sa mga naghahangad na maisulong at maikalat ang kanilang adhikain at adbokasya.

"Ever since I got the title, mas lumaki pa talaga 'yung platform ko," kuwento ni Maxine Misa sa kanyang panayam sa GMANetwork.com. "Busy rin kasi ako talaga because of my business, also I am a mom of two, so before, palaging personal [effort and capacity] na, 'Okay, can we go there?' or 'Can we send out school supplies?' so now that I have an organization to help me do those things, magandang may nakakatulong ako sa mga bagay na gusto ko talagang gawin."

Para kay Maxine Misa, ang best lesson na natutunan niya sa kanyang buhay ay 'Always keep a good heart no matter what you're going through.'

Si Maxine Misa ang current titleholder ng 'Model Mom Universe Advocacy Queen'. Sa mga hindi nakakaalam, ang titulo na Model Mom Universe Advocacy Queen ay iginagawad sa mga piling kababaihan na bukod sa nag-e-excel sa kanyang field ay active din na nagta-trabaho para maisulong ang kanyang mga adbokasiya. Ang "business" naman na tinutukoy ni Maxine ay ang Max Beaut Advance Aesthetics, isang aesthetics center na kanyang inumpisahan noong 2021 sa kasagsagan ng pandemic.

"For me being a Model Mom Universe is being able to help more people that I could help talaga. Actually, I was very glad when the title was given to me. We [Maxine and the organization behind MMU] have the same vision when it comes to those things. Even without the title and the sash, I've been doing advocacy work before pa. Every June kasi, I would do charities using my own money. I would usually give out whatever is needed during that season. I'd provide it. So when I got the crown, I told them, we have the same vision."

Malalim ang dahilan ng 27-year-old na beauty queen kung bakit niya isinasapuso ang pagkakawanggawa at pagtulong.

"Because the things that I've gone through my life, they were not easy. I'm a single mom, so all I ever did was work, and then when I had the money, I really helped other people. Also, I'm a battered woman. As a survivor of domestic abuse, parang this is a second life for me. So I really wanted to have purpose and meaning in my life."

Mahigit tatlong taon na ang nakalilipas nang malampasan ni Maxine ang mapait na kabanata ng kanyang buhay. Hindi rin naging madali kay Maxine ang matanggap ang katotohanan na siya ay nakaranas ng domestic abuse. Aminado siya na dati ay "awkward" at nahihiya pa siya na ibahagi ang kanyang mga pinagdaanan.

"It happened three years ago na when we broke up. The first two years, I've been really quiet. I kept studying and working all day. And now that I've healed, I feel na hindi na masamang pag-usapan 'yon. And the more I talk to people about story, the more I can inspire others. Pero nung una siyempre, when people would ask me, I would get emotional.

"But when I started talking, I realized na marami rin palang tao ang nakaranas din ng pinagdaanan ko.

Sa pamamagitan ng kanyang kuwento, hangad ni Maxine na maka-inspire rin ng ibang kababaihan na magkaroon ng lakas ng loob at kalinawan ng pag-iisip upang matakasan ang kanilang abusive relationships.

"I want to be a role model to others na yes, we can stand up again. Masasabi ko kasi ngayon, nalagpasan ko na siya. Now people would message me, na they're going through the same experience. Before I thought I was the only who going through that experience. Hindi pala. So ngayon, they inspire me to do more good as a woman and I want to stand up so much more."

Nilinaw ni Maxine na hindi naging madaling proseso ang "healing" at "moving on". Dahil bukod sa pagiging biktima na abuse, marami rin importanteng tao ang nawala sa kanyang buhay.

"I've lost a lot of friends, actually. Pero I realize that the real friends are the ones who will clap when you're successful. Before marami akong friends during the times na when I was down, pero when I started going up, kumonti sila nang kumonti. That's when I realized na not everybody can clap for you when you're happy. Maraming nawalang friends talaga."

Maxine Misa kasama ang kanyang anak na sina Amanda Mary, 5; and Caleb Daxton, 2.

Ngayong natamo na niya ang success sa pamamagitan ng kanyang business, na siya ring nagbibigay sa kanya ng oportunidad na makatulong sa iba, mas inspired pa si Maxine na pagbutihin ang kanyang buhay.

"When I was healing, 'yung mga clients ko rin naman were there for me. So it's a give and take, they would ask me, 'Are you okay?' when they knew I wasn't. More than anything, malaking part talaga ang trabaho ko to make people look good and feel good sa buhay nila. Kaya grateful pa rin ako na nakawala ako, kasi meron pa ring worse na stories than mine. Kaya I should have the hope to keep on improving my life."

Ang best lesson na nais ibahagi sa iba, lalo na sa mga biktima ng kapalaran?

"Kahit anong pagdaanan mo sa buhay, for as long you keep a good heart and a good mind and a good soul, at the end of the day, you will still win, because you never step on anybody.

"Nung marami akong pinagdadaanan when I was down to nothing, when I was physically abused, emotionally abused, financially abused, ang hirap pala maging mabait. But I kept being that good-hearted person because that's the direction of the Lord.

"Never let your circumstances harden your heart."

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