NAGPAHAYAG ng pasasalamat sa Pilipinas si Paula Shugart, presidente ng Miss Universe Organization (MUO), dahil sa pagkakaroon ngayon ng organisasyon ng natatanging beauty queen – si Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach.

“I would like to thank the Philippines for giving us Pia. She’s sad to be giving up the crown but she’s happy to be coming back here to do it. She’s made this her own. There’s a lot of people who’ll gonna miss her. I know I’ll be definitely be crying,” ani Shugart.

“I’m sure Pia has a great career ahead of her and I don’t think we’re gonna be that far away,” dagdag ni Shugart.

Classic movie ‘Ipaglaban Mo!’, ipinalabas ng CCP bilang kampanya vs VAWC

Naging emosyonal din si Pia nang magpaalam kay Shugart.

“Paula first asked me how are you? And then it just caught me by surprise because nobody really asks me that anymore. For such a long time I took care of my family,” sabi ng beauty queen.

Tiniyak ni Pia na mami-miss niya ang kanyang mga gawain bilang Miss Universe. 

“I’m gonna miss my everyday activities as Miss Universe but I know that it’s time for a new winner and that there are other things ahead of me. There’s no way to escape it unfortunately,” natawang sabi niya. “I’m ready and I’m going to miss it.”

“I had a fun year and there’s nothing really more that I could ask for kasi parang sunud-sunod ‘yung mga blessings like it took me so long to get to Miss Universe. And then when I finally got to Miss Universe, I won in the most unconventional way that turned to work on my favor. All I can say is thank you,” sabi ni Pia sa panayam ng Tonight With Boy Abunda sa ABS-CBN.

AMBASSADOR PIA

Pagkatapos ng kanyang reign bilang Miss Universe 2015, sinabi ni Pia na maglalaan siya ng panahon para makapiling ang kanyang pamilya bago bumalik sa New York upang  magtrabaho bilang ambassador ng prestihiyosong beauty pageant.

“I will spend time with my family,” sabi ni Pia nang tanungin tungkol sa kanyang mga plano pagkatapos maipasa ang kanyang korona, sa panayam ng 24 Oras Weekend ng GMA-7.

Sinabi rin ng German-Filipino beauty na magiging abala siya sa shooting ng ilang endorsements at commitments.

“For February, I’m going to be staying here kasi kailangan ko munang mag-shoot for endorsements here in the Philippines. I’ll still be flying overseas but here in Asia, because with Asia’s Next Top Model. 

“I have to finish that also. After that, I’m going back to New York. We’ll see where it goes from there,” sabi ni Pia sa isa pang panayam ng ABS-CBN.

Lilipad pabalik sa Big Apple ang 27-year-old beauty queen upang gampanan ang kanyang mga tungkulin bilang ambassador ng Miss Universe Organization.

“They did mention that to me before I left New York and we’re still finalizing everything now with the legal team of Miss Universe. So I guess I’m staying. I’m ready to pass on the crown to the new winner, and I’m happy and relieved that I’ll still be working closely with the organization even after I pass on the crown. I’m excited because I’m ready to move forward,” ani Pia.

“Miss Universe is taking care of me making sure that after I give up the crown I’m still going to be busy working because they know how much of a workaholic I am,” dagdag niya.

Naniniwala si Pia na matagumpay niyang nagampanan ang kanyang tungkulin bilang Miss Universe.

“I think I did my job pretty well. A lot of people would have opinions and say you should have done more of this and less of that. It should have been this way or that way. Or you’re not acting like a beauty queen, parang naglalaro ka lang. But the thing is I answer to my bosses at Miss Universe and if they’re happy then that’s all that matters to me. I know I’m going in the right direction,” aniya.

Sinabi rin ni Pia na mangangampanya siya laban sa bashing.

“What hurts is that some of the bashers are fellow Filipinos like what they are doing now to Maxine (Medina). You’ve done everything to make your country proud pero parang kulang pa rin,” sabi ng beauty queen.

LOVE LIFE

Sa kabila ng kanilang relasyon ng Filipino-Swiss F1 racing driver na si Marlon Stockinger, sinabi ni Pia na kapwa sila magiging abala sa kani-kanilang karera ngayong taon.

“Mas magkakaroon na ako ng oras sa love life pero very career-driven kasi ako, so gusto ko may trabaho na agad ako after (my reign) which is meron naman, so natutuwa naman ako ro’n. S’ya naman magsisimula na s’ya sa racing n’ya, so magiging busy na s’ya sa Europe ako naman dito muna then papuntang New York. Magkaiba kami ng path. So tingnan natin,” nakangiting sabi ng dalaga.

Ayon kay Pia, nasa bucket list niya ang pagpunta sa New York, na kinaroroonan ng headquarters ng MUO.

“When I went to New York, after I was crowned Miss Universe, I only have three pieces of luggage. After one year, I am leaving New York with seven suitcases and 20 balikbayan boxes,” aniya.

Ang ilan sa mga kahong ito ay naglalaman ng mga kasuotan na binabalak niyang isubasta sa Pilipinas, ayon sa mga ulat.

STEVE HARVEY

Sinabi rin ni Pia na matagal na niyang napatawad ang pagkakamali ng American television host na si Steve Harvey sa paghahayag ng nanalo sa Miss Universe contest noong Disyembre 2015. 

“I don’t think of it anymore. The moment he apologized on stage, he apologized, he said sorry, and to me that’s okay.”