Miss Universe Philippines candidate Victoria Velasquez Vincent may have a soft voice, but she surely is one fierce Caviteña fighter
Victoria Velasquez Vincent is a fresh face in the Philippine pageant scene. However the 25-year-old has proven that she’s a force to be reckoned with, not only as a favorite, to win the crown, but for topping the tough interview challenge.
Vincent may seem to do every task with ease, but all of these did not happen without sacrifice. She shared in her heartfelt Instagram post how she left the comforts of New Zealand, the country where she’s born and raised, to fulfill her dream and purpose in the Philippines. It was challenging not only to be away from from her loved ones, but also saying goodbye to the lifestyle she had in New Zealand.
The privilege she enjoyed in NZ solidified her desire to give back to her country, seeing the stark contrast in many things, most significantly the COVID-19 response. She joined Miss Universe Philippines to represent her Cavite and to use her experience and education to extend her help.
Her Double Masters
When asked why she only just joined now that she’s already 25, Vincent shared that her education, career and future were always her priority. She said, “I really wanted to get some work experience and some life experience as well before I really jump in to this incredible journey.”
Vincent finished her double Master’s degree in Architecture and Heritage Conservation at the University of Auckland. Here love for infrastructures and preservation of them encouraged her to pursue a course and career there.
Architecture and Heritage Conservation are the things she wanted to utilize and bring in this competition. She said, “I’m also incredibly passionate about conserving Filipino culture. So, even though my course in Heritage Conservation was kind of a generic architecture by its course, I’m so passionate about conserving culture in a way.” For her, honoring our past is our way to the future.
More than culture preservation
Aside from helping conserve our culture, Vincent also wants to use her educational background to design low-cost and sustainable housing for underprivileged communities. She shared in a social media post seeing makeshift homes in close proximity to high-end residential condominiums in 2012, and she described this experience another defining moment on why she also took Architecture and Heritage Conservation as her degrees.
She said, “After centuries of colonization, our historic architectural identity has been diluted and Western design principles are working against the typical Filipino’s fundamental way of living. In a society that favors the upper class, the gap in social classes is expanding rapidly.” She encourages people to reduce the gap between rich and poor, reinforce our culture, and to design for fellow Filipinos.
Victoria Velasquez Vincent is a woman with depth and wisdom. She proves that there shouldn’t be distinction on who should be crowned as Miss Universe. Wherever you came from, you always have something in hand to give back to people in need, and for her, it’s her privileges. To hear more of her story, watch her full interview below:
Related:
Exclusive: Miss Universe PH Candidates Pour Out Their Hearts In This New Series
Miss Universe PH Reveals The Much-Awaited Top 30 Candidates
These Miss Universe PH Candidates Ascend In Traditionally Male-Dominated Fields
The post Victoria Velasquez Vincent Answers Questions In The Most Graceful Way appeared first on MEGA.
0 Comments