Even with the ongoing pandemic, there was still a lot to celebrate about the founding anniversary of the City of Manila last month. And not just because the nation’s capital has reached another milestone in its 450th year.
It’s also because there are at least two outstanding Manileños worth raising a glass for. One of them is, of course, the youthful and indefatigable Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, the former movie actor-turned-politician that is widely regarded as the chief architect of the city’s laudable transformation since he assumed the position of mayor in 2016.
The other is Patrizia Mariah Garcia, a beautiful young lady who is emerging as one of the top favorites for this year’s edition of the prestigious Binibining Pilipinas beauty pageant. As Manila’s representative, Patrizia or simply Pat is so far doing the city proud with the way she has gracefully handled herself in the pageant.
Given that her interests include Philippine history and public service, it’s not at all surprising that she considers the current Manila mayor as her role model. As a matter of fact, the 27-year old charmer from Sta. Mesa worked in the legislative policy research staff of Congressman Alan Peter Cayetano during his time as Speaker of the House of Representatives.
And yes, Pat had the opportunity to finally meet her role model. Last June 28, just four days after the 450th anniversary of Araw ng Maynila, Pat had a face-to-face meeting with Mayor Isko to personally thank him for the city’s support for her Binibining Pilipinas campaign.
In a subsequent interview with BusinessMirror, Pat marveled at how the local chief executive fondly referred to by constituents as simply “Yorme” was able to revitalize the nation’s capital and transform it into a vibrant kaleidoscope of hardworking and disciplined people.
“Mayor Isko has been a beacon of hope for the city with the way he has embedded discipline and how he has significantly improved the lives of Manileños in just about every way, especially during the lockdowns that started with the ECQ and which continues under the GCQ,” she exclaimed.
Pat’s devotion to her home city is very much reflected in the way she views Manila as a city of extreme contrasts—a city that can be both chaotic and spiritual at the same time as typified by the annual Feast of the Black Nazarene, a pilgrimage and religious festival that draws the faithful by the thousands every single year.
As the nation’s capital, Manila is known for many other things. From the famous and breathtaking Manila Bay sunset to the newly cleaned-up bay walks to the roads where the intricately designed jeepneys—a revered Filipino symbol—ply their daily routes.
And then there’s the historic Jones Bridge, the restoration of which was overseen by Mayor Isko himself as it honors the legacy of art deco architect Juan Marcos Arellano and his stunning Beaux-Arts approach towards its creation.
As a Binibining Pilipinas candidate representing Manila, Pat is focused on promoting Manila as a tourist hub, with such popular places like Rizal Park, the walled city of Intramuros, and other wonderful art deco structures like the National Museum, the Manila Central Post Office building, the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex and the newly restored and soon-to-open Manila Metropolitan Theatre where Arellano’s neo-classical influence is very much evident.
And so far she seems to be succeeding in her endeavor as pageant experts already consider her to be a shoo-in for one of the 12 semifinal slots in Binibining Pilipinas. Once she makes it to the semifinal round, there’s a good chance she ultimately wins one of the four prestigious crowns up for grabs.
Even before the coronation night this coming Sunday, July 11, Pat has already won the Miss Blackwater special award in a pre-pageant event hosted by sponsor Ever Bilena.
If Patrizia Garcia manages to succeed in bringing home the bacon, so to speak, she has big plans for her personal advocacies.
“I want to succeed and achieve my goal of bringing home the crown to represent the country internationally,” she quipped. Along with that ultimate objectives is also an opportunity to be a spokesperson for people with mental health issues, especially children.
The desire to make a big difference is also reflected in the charity work for youth centers that Pat is actively involved with. By way of inspiration, Pat shared her recent bout with Covid-19.
“I realized a lot of things during my two-week quarantine when I tested positive for Covid last May. [Having overcome that hurdle, I believe] we can also overcome every challenge that comes our way with a positive mindset and a strong support system in our families and society,” she concluded.