Pia Wurtzbach describes her Miss Universe legacy: ‘Keep it real’

Miss Universe 2015 and proudly Filipina beauty queen Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach will be passing on her crown to the next titleholder in three days, but it’s safe to say that no one will be forgetting this lady from Cagayan de Oro City anytime soon.

More than Steve Harvey’s infamous erroneous announcement and her iconic “confidently beautiful with a heart” answer, Wurtzbach has made her mark in the history of Miss Universe as one of the most loved and most followed queens.

It’s no puzzle to most how Pia earned her five million social media followers—the lady kept it real.

From entertaining cooking videos, interactive live videos, and makeup tutorials to photos of her reunions and even her date nights, she has openly shared some of her most treasured moments, giving everyone a peek at her life as Pia instead of just her reign as Miss Universe.

“I tried to change the perception of beauty queens. Parang ang tingin kasi ng mga tao kapag beauty queen, hindi nagkakamali, parang hindi natatawa, o hindi nasasaktan, palagi lang maganda. But I tried to stay as natural as I can,” she said in an interview with the press on Friday.

The Filipina beauty queen added, “Wala akong on and off switch—na kapag naka-sash ako, parang ‘Okay, trabaho na ito.’ Kung paano ako makipag-usap sa mga tao as Miss Universe, ganoon din ako kapag hindi ko suot ang sash and crown. I think that really resonates and it really helps you be more relatable to people. I think that’s why I’ve developed a strong following—because I just keep it real.”

Pia Wurtzbach talks about the legacy she's leaving as #MissUniverse @gmanews pic.twitter.com/93gYrugFzW

— Bianca Rose Dabu (@biancadabu) January 27, 2017

As her reign come to an end, Pia looks back on how the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) has helped her grow as a person.

According to her, among the things she will miss are the people from MUO that she’s worked with for a year, her New York apartment, and the free travels.

“I learned a lot of things. I have really grown since I was crowned. When I look at my videos from my first few months as Miss Universe, I just look so different, I sound so different. I think it’s because of the maturity—you can really learn a lot in one year." she said.

Pia concluded, "Overall, there’s just a lot of experiences, and I think I matured a lot since I won."

Pia Wurtzbach shares what she learned during her one-year #MissUniverse reign @gmanews pic.twitter.com/NLmVVQK5Nz

— Bianca Rose Dabu (@biancadabu) January 27, 2017

What’s next for Pia after the grand coronation event on Monday, January 30, you ask?

Well, the beauty queen will continue the hard work in New York City.

“How do you top Miss Universe? I don’t know! But the good thing is I have a lot of things in store for me, lots of things lined up—thank God. That will keep me busy, and it looks like I’m going back to New York,” she said.

Pia Wurtzbach is going back to New York after her #MissUniverse reign @gmanews pic.twitter.com/AAKrMoJbuc

— Bianca Rose Dabu (@biancadabu) January 27, 2017

Pia will be ending her reign as Miss Universe on Monday, January 30, as she passes on the crown to the next titleholder.

Watch the 65th Miss Universe coronation event live on GMA on January 30, beginning at 8:00 a.m. — AT, GMA News