One of Catriona Gray’s winning moments during Miss Universe was the final Q&A where she highlighted how she plans on helping children who live in the slums of Tondo, Manila. “I’ve always taught myself to look for the beauty in it. To look in the beauty in the face of the children and to be grateful,” she said. “And I would bring this aspect as Miss Universe to see situations with a silver lining and to assess where I could give something, where I could provide something as a spokesperson.”
Netizens had mixed reactions to Catriona’s answer. Many accused her of romanticizing poverty, while others were hopeful that she can still be educated on the matter. Nonetheless, she finally clarified that it wasn’t her intention to do so.
In an interview with GMA News’ Jessica Soho, Catriona said she didn’t sugarcoat the situation in Tondo. “I’m not saying that it’s beautiful there,” she explained, adding that what she found beautiful was the poor’s “spirit, their will, [and] their determination.”
“[If] you’ll look at my answer in the context of looking at the first sentence, it does not romanticize poverty… And you know, there’s nothing beautiful about poverty but in the people that you talk to, the teachers that I’ve met, the children who I’ve heard their stories of, and the families that I’ve heard stories of,” she said.
Now that Catriona has explained her side, does it change your perspective on her final Miss Universe answer? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or on social media.
[GMA News]
Photo courtesy of Catriona Gray’s Instagram account
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