Rosos was in the bathroom when Natasha Angela Manuel was going through the most crucial time of her life. “I intentionally excused myself and stepped out of the room because I was too nervous when the question-and-answer portion was about to start.”—the fashion designer, who was present during the night she was crowned Jewel of the Philippines 2016 can now relate it to everyone with humor. As the talent handler of Crowns and Scepters, Lemuel has developed a battle scheme that would guarantee her win against 22 aspirants who equally imbibe the kernel of being a beauty royalty.
“Q and A is always the make-or-break part of the contest. I was nervous, too. I do not want to experience the same heartbreak again,” the 21-year-old Natasha described the blood rush on stage at Tanghalang Pasigueño in Pasig City last August while she was about to utter the first word of her answer. It was her defining moment. Unlike most of the pageant women, she does not have a track record of victories in the previous competitions she participated in. Say, neither in Miss Cebu nor in Miss Mandaue.
A hiatus was the best cure. Had she rejected the invitation to screen for the Jewel of the Philippines title, she would not have emerged the fairest of them all. Then again, she was happy, too, in her day job as a banker at Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation in Lapu-Lapu City after completing a degree in Accounting Technology at the University of San Carlos.
She is born a risk taker, a perpetual student of life. But how far can she go?
After winning the title, what are your plans?
I am planning to join bigger pageants. But I have no plans of entering show business. It isn’t for me.
How did you discover your passion for pageants?
Actually, I never had any inclinations to pageants. But when I was in fourth year high school, sir Lemuel (Rosos) was organizing a model search, i-try lang ko for fun with my classmates. I joined and placed second runner-up—from there, nindot man sab diay. It kept me busy. I just find it exciting. Since then, he handled my pageant stints. Along the way, I found it exciting kay it does boost my confidence 10 folds. I like the feeling of it.
Have you noticed the progress you made?
I was not confident before. I’m an introvert, but everyone kept asking me if I was interested because I was already tall when I was in elementary. I never thought of it, and it never crossed my mind. It’s not that I did not like pageants; I was not just exposed before. So when I was fully immersed, I started to enjoy it. Why don’t I give it a try?
What’s the best part of being in a pageant?
Pageants allow me to deal with people from different walks of life. Di ba, ushay nay mo-apil nga rich kid, naa’y breadwinners? Some have different personalities, and that helps me, especially that I have a business background.
Were you not culture shocked?
Actually, karon ra sab ko naka-sabot ana. My officemates were telling me that they do not understand when they hear contestants share about personal sacrifices. What they are familiar of is the glamorous side on stage, smile lang and hand wave. At first, I was really shocked, especially that I had to balance my priorities between rehearsals and studies. And I wasn’t mature enough to handle it. Now it still feels new since I was on break for two years when I came back. But the feeling of enjoyment is still here.
What’s your most memorable pageant?
I cannot decide between the two: Miss Mandaue or Miss Cebu. Both had activities that helped me and made us bond with other candidates. But I cannot forget my experience with Miss Cebu, the pageant after typhoon Yolanda.
Were you not discouraged?
That’s why I had to lay low for two years. I focused on my studies and had on-the-job training in the US. Mao to nga I stopped. But I promised Lemuel that I would join a
national pageant. So when he asked me to join Jewel of the Philippines, I said yes, but at the back of my mind, sus… deja vu na sab ni, di a sab ko ma-apil ani. Makadiscourage gyud siya. I stayed away from social media in the duration of the pageant, so I won’t be affected so much, kanang makabasa ko nga dili ko bet ani nila, ma-fuel akoang discouragement ba. But I was more fueled by the people who supported me, who believed in me who pushed me to join. I drew inspiration from them.
Tell us about the preparation you had.
The most challenging preparation was the physical aspect. Straight from US, I gained eight kilos. I needed to lose weight. I followed a strict diet and exercise. Aside from that, of course, I trained how| to walk properly and how to answer in the question-and-answer portion and how to be a beauty queen gyud.
What bothered you during the competition?
During the pageant, I was anxious, na-kulbaan ko kay naa nama’y crowd favorite, mga favorite sa sponsors and they got minor awards while I received nothing yet. But the pageant staff said encouraging words to me backstage. It did boost my self-esteem.
Of the 22 candidates, what do you think was your edge?
My commitment—my commitment to improve myself —and that showed during the pageant night. I felt it. of course, if they can see my commitment to myself, then they would expect the same commitment to my reign and that I could give more of myself to it.
If you can pick one quality that made you the winner, what would that be?
Balik-balikon gyud nila nga I aced it in the question and answer. I was not sure, though, because I could not hear their answers backstage. If that is true, I believe because my answer had a sense of maturity, the way I looked at things.
What was the most challenging part of the contest?
Still, the question-and-answer. It’s a make-or-break. Mag-awarding man na before the Q and A na-discouraged na ko kay wala gyud ko’y nadawat. My first runner-up had most
of the awards and she was the crowd’s favorite. I was convinced that she would win. So I thought I wouldn’t be able to reach the Q and A until my name was called out in the top 12. It was by chance if you’d be able to pick an easy question or a difficult one because it did not come from the judges. We have to handpick it ourselves. But even before the pageant night, I was already very nervous about that portion.
What’s the best strategy then?
Pag-bunot nako sa question, I handed it immediately to Nina Algao, the host. While she was reading it aloud, I silently and quickly read it, too, and then I formulated my answer. When you’re on the spot, so many ideas rush in. In my training with Toastmaster’s, I learned to answer it with one word and then, I’d develop my supporting ideas around the main word aron dili ko mag sige ug beat around the bush. It creates a trail.
How do you define beauty now?
Beauty is not just what you see in the mirror, and it does not stop with just having a big heart. You have to translate that into actions so that you’d really be beautiful. Inside and out. You’ll see yourself as beautiful and other people will see you as beautiful. My idea of beauty has not changed because I won this title but through time. My view on things are no longer the same. I’m mature now. Since I joined pageants, there were so many turning points that changed my perspective in life. There were a lot of milestones.
