Miss Universe 2010 first runner-up Venus Raj speaks during the Colour Me Ladies Conference held at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino. CDN Digital photo | Michelle Joy Padayhag
Cebu City, Philippines — She was once lost, but she found her way back to God.
This is what Miss Universe 2010 fourth runner-up Venus Raj shared during the Colour Me Ladies Conference held at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City last March 2, 2019.
The 30-year-old beauty queen shared her life story in front of 2,500 women who attended the conference, which carried the theme “Colour Me White” based on the Matthew 5:8.
“I thought the things I see in my family is normal. It is normal that me and my sisters have different fathers. It is normal that my mom and her sisters have different fathers. My grandmother and her siblings have different fathers too,” she said.
Her mother was a domestic helper in Doha, Qatar in the 1980s and met an Indian national father, who became Raj’s biological father.
Raj opened up that she grew up without a biological father, hence, she has not experienced to be loved and protected by a father.
“I have not experienced when my classmates would bully me, there would be a father who would tell my classmates na tigilan mo anak ko o ‘wag mong gawin sa anak ko yan,” Raj added.
Because she grew up without a father, she first realized, “Siguro talga ang kulang sa buhay ko is someone na who would be there for me.”
Growing up, she was longing for that love and kind of protection.
“I was longing for someone to be there for me and would just let me feel secured. Walang ganoon sa pamilya ko,” she said.
Raj concluded that when she would be in a relationship in an early age, all her problems would be solved.
“Lumaki po akong mahirap. I thought poverty will end if I would find that knight in shining armor,” Raj said.
At 16 years old, she had a relationship with a man older than her.
For her, when one does not experience a kind of love in the family will find love in the wrong place.
“To parents, make sure your children experience the love in the family,” she advised.
She also revealed that an early age, she experienced premarital sex.
“That experienced opened my mind, my eyes, everything. Things that are not pure and things that are not pleasing. Things that are very dangerous. That became a cycle, a lifestyle,” Raj added.
Before, she thought person would submit herself to the guy when they are in a relationship.
“It is a way of saying I love you. When you give your body to the person it is like mahal kita kasi sabi ng teleserye, pag sinabihan mo ng I love you too, naghahalikan diba,” Raj added.
When she was in third year college, Raj joined Miss Philippines Earth 2008 where Cebu bet Karla Henry won the crown and Raj bagged the Miss Philippines Eco Tourism 2008 title.
She then recalled that a woman from the organizing committee shared a gospel to her.
“When we reached the point of prayer, I was crying like, wow. I did not really understand what Jesus has done to me,” she said.
In 2010, Raj won Binibining Pilipinas Universe and represented the Philippines in Miss Universe 2010 held in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.
Raj said before the competition, she met her trainer in Bicol and talked about God.
She recalled what her trainer told her, “You know what Venus, even if you do not have a father or a biological father, you know we have a father in heaven. Our father in heaven loves you so much and he cares for you.”
The pageant ended with Mexico’s Ximena Navarrete winning the Miss Universe 2010 crown while Raj placed fourth runner-up.
When she came back after the Miss Universe 2010 competition, Raj realized that she wanted to know more about God.
“We are not perfect and we are far from being perfect. We know that we still commit sins,” she said.
Learning about God removed her heart of stone and the spirit that pursued lost and immortality.
Instead, it was replaced with love, purity, and security.
“Do not be afraid that you fall, that you sin. God really works for you to hear you and he loves you,” she said.
Gracing this year’s conference were Ms. Christine Kairuz, wife of Peter Kairuz of CBN-Asia’s 700 Club, and well-known inspirational speaker, balladeer Richard Poon and his actress-wife, Maricar. /bmjo
