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Happy birthday Catriona Gray: 9 times our new Miss Universe made us proud


Catriona Gray turns 25 years old today, January 6, and because she’s given us our fourth Miss Universe title, we couldn’t help but think of 9 other times she’s made us proud.

Happy birthday, Cat! Cheers, my dear!

1. When she became Miss Universe, of course


She gave us our fourth, and she gave it to us confidently, beautifully, gracefully. Catriona exuded confidence on stage, answered the questions intelligently, and just won in every respect possible.

2. How she carried and raised the Philippine flag all through her Miss Universe campaign 


Producing videos for each of the main island of the Philippines? Check. The Philippine-made clothes she chose to wear during Miss Universe functions? Check. Her national costume, check. Catriona raised our flag not just during the coronation night but all through the Miss Universe competition. Thank you, Cat!

3. Her lava walk and her slow-mo twirl

 

We mean, Tyra Banks went nuts for it. A Bangkok national went nuts for it. Joyce Pring went nuts for it! Even Twirlie the mascot went nuts for it. Who didn’t, really?

4. Boy, can Cat sing!

Catriona has quite a voice — she covered Adele back in 2012! — and she even went the live gig scene. Dug up photos and videos from a Route 196 gig showed she has excellent taste in music too. We mean, she covered a Patti Smith/1000 Maniacs song.

5. That she took her musical inclinations a step further and enrolled in an online course in Music Theory, Ear Training and Harmony from the prestigious Berklee College of Music speaks about how hardworking and determined the queen is.

6. Her adoration for her parents is remarkable

 

One of her first posts on Instagram after becoming Miss Universe was dedicated to her parents — about how her dad taught her to be tough, how her mom taught her to trust her intuition.

7. Oh how she persevered! She couldn’t have competed that well had she not practiced and practiced hard. A lot of us would’ve stopped at a fabulous Top 5 finish in the Miss World pageant but Cat is different. She tried her luck again with Binibini, worked hard for Miss Universe, and now, she’s Queen.

8. Her sincere advocacy work

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

“Here's my Catriona story. I met Catriona, about 2 years ago at the Young Focus student center in Tondo Manila. Young Focus does a lot of work with the communities that live in and around the Smokey Mountain landfill. What was also striking about Cat's time with Young Focus was that it was clear she knew everyone. She knew the kids, their names, the dreams, she also had a special relationship with the staff of Young Focus. You see, staff members, the teachers and social workers who work so hard and give of themselves are often overlooked, Cat knew them and hung out with them, she saw them. Just recently, we figured the problem of smokey mountain is that people think is that it belongs in the past, and we wanted to call attention to it. Immediately Cat volunteered, she had a platform, and influence and spared no time using it for good. This long post, is to convey first hand that her heart has always been to help. For us at Young Focus, together with the staff and kids, this something we have always known. Now, for those who may have jumped the gun, who may have not understood "the beauty in poverty" idea from the final question. From what I've seen, and from the friends I've made who have devoted their lives in working to help the poor, they would say, Absolutely 100% there is no beauty in poverty. As a matter of fact, when you do visit, you see the evil underbelly of the system the deliberately keeps things unequal. So the beauty Cat speaks of, isn't from general point of view that romanticises poverty. The beauty she speaks of is comes from what she has discovered in the stories of the kids, the families, and the people who have devoted their lives in serving others. They come from knowing actual names, hearing actual dreams. And her response has always been to cheer people on, and when she could, she lent lent her resources. She gave a voice to those we have long forgotten. We are so proud of her and the works she's done." - Bebo Bharwani (Board Member, Young Focus Philippines) Video by @altaniameen ? Footage from #WereInThisTogether music video, link in bio ???? @youngfocusph

A post shared by Catriona Gray (@catriona_gray) on

 

Even during her Miss World days, Catriona advocated for education of the youth of Tondo. More recently, she started paying attention to the HIV cause, encouraging people to please get tested.

9. Her immense creativity and vision 


The Philippine-inspired ear cuffs that Catriona wore and subsequently started a trend with? Those were her idea. Her evening dresses? According to her designer Mak Tumang, those were her concepts. For every initiative, her clarity, vision, and creativity becomes evident. — LA, GMA News

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