CLASS, grace and the unshakeable determination of a woman on a mission—these are but a few words that describe Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, a stunning woman who is no stranger to winning, to losing and to the constant pressure of proving herself.
The 28-year-old Filipina beauty queen, actress and IMG model—who captivated the universe when she bagged the much-coveted Miss Universe crown—is living, breathing proof that if one dreams of achieving a seemingly unreachable goal, she must be willing make sacrifices and go through a series of transformations.
And transform herself she did.
When Pia Wurtzbach won the Binibining Pilipinas Universe title back in 2015—the same crown that became her ticket to the Miss Universe 2015 pageant in Las Vegas, USA—she had tirelessly worked day in and day out to make her body and mind battle-ready. Pia even reached the point where she was working out in the wee hours at a 24-hour gym because she thought her already svelte figure could use a little more trimming.
Her mentors at pageant specialist Aces & Queens were already telling her she’d learned enough. But, like a dutiful student, the Filipino-German beauty still came to the rehearsals, sat with much-younger beauty-pageant hopefuls at Q&A trainings, learned how to walk in heels, and absorbed everything there was to learn about makeup, hairstyling and dressing up, because she didn’t want to leave anything to chance.
During her yearlong reign as Miss Universe 2015, Pia ultimately changed the way beauty queens were perceived. She showed everyone that a beauty queen could be funny, friendly, witty, intelligent, beautiful, eloquent and kind-hearted all at the same time. And without realizing it, Pia brought to the fore the shining admirable qualities of Pinoys: respectful, warm, hospitable and hardworking.
Pia’s advocacy work on HIV/AIDS awareness and her battle against cyberbullying has endeared her to many people from different cultures and social classes. She’s given inspirational talks to students, abused women, high-ranking public officials, victims of calamities, volunteers, cancer patients, fellow beauty queens, consuls and other persons of influence. In June 2016 she represented the Philippines at a high-level meeting on putting an end to AIDS at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. She met and exchanged ideas with heads of state, scientists, ministers, researchers and representatives from civil-society and international organizations.
Her passion to help others didn’t stop after she passed on her Miss Universe crown. As an appointed UN AIDS Goodwill Ambassador for Asia and the Pacific, Pia openly encourages the youth to get tested, and calls for zero discrimination against people living with HIV. With or without the title, Pia has been vocal about certain issues concerning the welfare of the lesbians, gay, bisexual and the transgender community.
Pia, who is currently working with Vice Ganda and Daniel Padilla on a Star Cinema movie that will mark her return to the field of acting, has been using her stature to effectively promote the causes that she believes in, even if the naysayers keep trying to silence her.
“Critics say that I just sit around, endorsements, picture dito, picture doon. But they don’t know what I do behind closed doors,” says Pia, who has been a victim of cyberbullying herself. “I’m here because of my advocacies. I want to shed light on issues that are being forgotten. You transform their life, and you transform your life also.”
For her unshakeable will to carry on amid the brickbats being thrown at her by the people that try to dull her shine, it comes as no surprise that global hair-care brand Cream Silk signed on Pia as the perfect representation of its Stunning Shine variant. She is not afraid to embrace her individuality and let her uniqueness shine through, constantly reinventing and improving herself to succeed in whatever endeavour she sets her heart to.
According to Raiza Revilla, Cream Silk brand manager, Pia’s story, along with those of the other six ambassadors, resonates well with the brand’s latest campaign. “Our Cream Silk women represent Filipinas who have the desire and drive to transform to their best self. These women are confident and empowered, and they possess beauty that stands out.”
And that’s the beauty of Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach’s story. Even if she went through numerous transformations, from model to beauty queen to actress to advocate, Pia never forgot what she really is: a confidently beautiful human being with a heart of gold.
Watch Pia Wurtzbach as she shares her transformation story to shine bright as a beauty queen at https://tinyurl.com/PiaTransformed.