Kris Tiffany Janson of Cebu City North is crowned Miss Universe Philippines Cebu 2024.
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Age has long been misunderstood as an indicator to cease endeavors, perpetuating the misconception that everything in this world is defined by age.
Whether it’s in fashion and modeling, entertainment, or even entering marriage, societal norms and expectations often revolve around age.
This trend is particularly evident within the realm of pageantry, where youthfulness has traditionally been prized above all else.
But not for Kris Tiffany Janson.
The transformative Cebuana beauty queen defied age-related stereotypes after winning the crown of Miss Universe Philippines – Cebu at the age of 34.
READ: Kris Tiffany Janson is Miss Universe Philippines Cebu 2024
“Miss Universe has always been a ‘what if’ for me. I’m 34, what else do I have, so might as well know what this what-if is all about,” Janson said.
Janson has been in the pageantry industry for 15 years. However, before becoming a titleholder, she never expected to end up in a pageant.
Her childhood was filled with boyish interests and games, far removed from the world of glitz and glamour.
“How I was raised, was a very interesting childhood… Kanang muingon kag nagkabalas ang simod, nagkapangus-pangos, nahagbong, napiang, tanan na experience gyud na nako as a child,” Janson recalled.
Kris recounted how her classmates and even teachers initially teased her because they could not envision her pursuing a career in the pageant world due to their preconceived notions of her personality and interests, which did not align with the stereotypical image of a beauty pageant contestant.
“Even ang mga teachers when I was in high school muana gyud na silag, ‘Sus kani si Kris, naa gyud ni siya sa likod magduwag tumbang preso kuyog ang mga lalaki. Mao pagyud ni ang mag hari-hari sa duwa’, mao gyud na ang mga comment ba,” she said.
Although she had already started her journey in runway modeling, entering pageantry was never something she considered, especially since she identified herself as a sporty woman.
However, the idea of joining a pageant was presented to her during a conversation with her dad.
“I [already] did runway modeling. And then, I just got into a conversation with my dad at that time. I think, somebody presented man gud to him an idea nga mag Ms. Cebu [ko],” Janson said.
She added that one of the pieces of advice her late dad gave her, which she will never forget, was, “You should elevate in whatever career you choose, you should always take one step higher, and make sure that that step is higher than the previous one’. So, mao to niana ko nga, ‘sige, suwayan nato’.”
When Kris joined Ms. Cebu in 2009, she couldn’t help but feel somewhat out of her element, considering it was her first time, especially when she clinched the crown.
“When I joined Ms. Cebu, I was solely focused on fulfilling my duties as Ms. Cebu, which I’m very grateful for because I was exposed to so much through Ms. Cebu; flying in and out of the country, visiting different places, and being a representative of Cebu,” she said.
After clinching the Ms. Cebu crown in 2009, Kris made her way to joining Binibining Pilipinas in 2014, with the support and mentorship of Jonas Barces.
Binibining Pilipinas Intercontinental
According to Kris, there was no difference in her preparations for Ms. Cebu and Binibining Pilipinas, as she mainly needed to focus on improving her walk and the question and answer portion.
When Janson won the Binibining Pilipinas Intercontinental 2014, she found herself immersed in the foreign environment of Germany where the Miss Intercontinental 2014 was held.
Differentiating between the two pageant platforms, she said, “Mas intense ang dinhi sa Philippines because we see pageantry like the Olympics of beauty. For other countries man gus especially like Europe, they don’t highlight it so much or as high as we do… but I guess it depends on which pageant it is kay during Miss Intercontinental naa may uban nga girls nga relax lang, just have fun, just there to attend the competition ba.”
Janson finished as the second runner-up in the Miss Intercontinental 2014 pageant.
Following this, she made the decision to resign and take a break, which she spent with her family, friends, and traveling abroad.
Ten years have passed since then, and she has recently decided to re-enter the pageant world by competing in Miss Universe Philippines Cebu 2024.
She was able to participate as the MUPH management had abolished age restrictions for the pageant.
Without a doubt, she reclaimed the crown at the age of 34, proving that age cannot limit opportunities for success.
To aspiring beauty queens, Kris offers this advice: “You just have to be sure of who you are, what you want, and what you want to represent. Whatever advice they give you, use it to craft your own story.”
