Kaye is lovely contestant #9 in the Binibining Tuburan 2024 beauty pageant. She is already a pageant winner from 2022 and we are certain her winning ways will continue.
So, how did you get into pageantry? What made you want to compete?
There was an event in our Barangay for the upcoming fiesta, and it was a search for Binibining Antipolo 2022. My cousin urged me to join, which at first I declined because I didn’t have the guts back then. I was also hesitant because I didn’t have any experience in pageantry, and during that time, I thought I wasn’t ready or capable enough. But my cousin encouraged me and helped me a lot, especially in believing in myself and boosting my self-confidence. Eventually, I joined and won the title Binibining Antipolo.
Then I joined other pageants afterward, which made me realize that you don’t have to meet society’s standard of beauty. Every one of us is beautiful in our own unique ways. And I think that’s what makes me compete, to spread the awareness that being beautiful is more than the outside. Beauty is skin deep, regardless of skin color, race, or gender. We are all beautiful. I am beautiful, no buts, no what-ifs.
What does beauty mean to you? It’s more than just looks, right?
Yes. Beauty for me is more than just looks. It’s actually deeper than physical appearance. It’s more on the inside, the beauty of the soul. How you respond to someone in need, how you brighten someone’s bad day, or how you encourage someone who has lost their self-confidence. It is so much more than the outside; it is what is inside your heart that makes a person beautiful. Because if you have a beautiful soul, a beautiful heart, it will resonate on the outside. That is what beauty is for me.
What makes you special? What sets you apart from the other contestants?
I think what makes me special and sets me apart from the other contestants is the drive I have inside. Last April, when I joined Miss Siglakas, we met an accident on our way to the event. It was actually my first time being in an accident, and what made it worse was it was really tragic because two of my companions were severely wounded. Fortunately for me, I had only a few scratches on my legs and a wound on my feet. I saw my two companions all bloodied, and I was so traumatized.
But I stood up and still went to the event, participated even with pain all over my body. Because of that experience, I think that’s what sets me apart from all the other contestants. The passion I have inside me is burning, and that ignites me to overcome any incident I may face in the future.
If you win, how would you use your title to help others?
If I am given a chance to be the Binibining Tuburan 2024, I will use this title to encourage and uplift others, especially those young girls out there who dream of joining Binibining Tuburan but don’t have the courage to do so. I myself was once a dreamer. I didn’t have the beauty standard that others may call beautiful, and I did not possess the highest intelligence. But because of my perseverance and dedication, I worked to make my dream a reality. So if I win, that is what I’m going to do—to be a motivation and a legacy to the young Binibinis out there that if you just believe in yourself, you can do it.
What’s the coolest thing you’ve learned from being in pageants?
The coolest thing that I’ve learned from being in a pageant is that you get to wear high-heeled sandals provided by the organization. Isn’t that cool, right? Because way back before, I really looked up to women wearing high heels, and being in pageantry, you get to wear them, which is what I always dreamed of. And at the same time, it’s for free! So yes, for me, that may be the coolest thing I’ve learned from being in pageants.
How do you deal with people who might say mean things?
I deal with them with compassion and understanding. Because for me, what is in your heart will come out of your mouth. So to those people who say mean things, instead of hating them, I pray for their healing and deliverance.
Tell us about a time something amazing happened during a pageant!
When I joined Miss Antipolo 2022, I started from scratch. Literally, everything was new to me. I had no idea what to feel during the competition because I knew at that time I was not the crowd’s favorite. I had dark skin, and I was so skinny back then. I never expected to win. I was just having a good time trying to soak in all those overwhelming feelings of having a chance to join a pageant for the first time in my life. When my name was called as the Binibining Antipolo 2022, I can still recall how my heart leapt from happiness and excitement. I think that experience was the most amazing thing that ever happened to me. It was the most amazing feeling I ever felt in my life.
What kind of person do you think does well in pageants?
For me, I think the kind of person who does well in pageants are those who are congenial. Because you know, what is having a beautiful face or an intelligent mind if you have a bad attitude, right? So for me, having a good attitude is better than having a pretty face and an intelligent mind.
Being in a pageant means a lot of people are watching. How do you stay yourself through it all?
It’s normal to feel nervous because we are surrounded by a lot of unfamiliar faces, and the pressure is overwhelming. But I always stay focused on my goal, and of course, I do it with lots of prayers. Plus, the support that my family always has for me empowers me to go beyond expectations.
What do you dream of doing in the future, pageant world or not?
I love pageantry. It’s always been my passion. So I think I’m still going to pursue it while achieving my ambition of becoming a teacher someday. A teacher while being a pageantera or a pageantera while being a teacher. Both suit me fine.
