Ni DIANARA T. ALEGRE

NAGWAGI bilang Asia’s Next Top Model Season 5 si Maureen Wroblewitz, ang kauna-unahang Pinay na nagkamit ng karangalan pagkatapos ng limang season ng patimpalak.

Hindi naging madali para kay Maureen, 18 taong gulang, 5’6’ kaya pinakamaliit sa buong grupo, ang pinagdaanan bago niya nakamit ang titulo. Matatandaan na sa mga nakaraang episode ay na-bully pa nga siya ng mga kapwa kandidata.

Si Clara Tan ng Indonesia ang tumatak nang husto sa lahat nang ilarawan nito si Maureen bilang “pretty face with no skills.”

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Hindi rin nakaligtas si Maureen sa pambu-bully ni Shikin Gomez ng Malaysia na nagsabi naman sa Pinay beauty ng, “I’m actually pretty despised that you’ve gotten this far,” at ni Minh Tu Nguyen ng Vietnam nang ibulalas nitong, “for me stronger models have left and I think it’s unfair,” na tahasang panghuhusga na hindi magaling na model si Maureen para magpatuloy pa sa kompetisyon.

“I was constantly called ‘a pretty face with no skills.’ But little did they know, it would just make me come out stronger and better. It became a perfect motivation for me to prove them wrong and to show them that being inexperienced doesn’t mean you’re a weak model,” salaysay ni Maureen sa kanyang Instagram post.

Sa interbyu sa ANTM winner kamakailan, sinagot niya ang tanong kung may naiambag ba ang pagiging hurado ni Miss Universe Pia Wurzbach sa pagkapanalo niya.

“I didn’t see that because she’s a Filipina, she’ll be rooting for me,” sagot niya. “She wasn’t biased at all. She was being really fair. I really didn’t feel that because she’s in the competition, I already have the chance to win.

I was just happy that she was there because I was looking up to her and I’m still looking up to her. That’s something that just happened to be part of the competition.”

Sa finale, naungusan niya sina Shikin Gomez at Minh Tu Nguyen ng Vietnam. Suot ang mga likhang disenyo ni X.Q.Zhang, rumampa sila sa huling fashion show ng paligsahan.

Suot ang puting gown na pinalamutian ng mga nagkikintabang perlas, nakuha ni Maureen ang atensiyon ng mga hurado.

“Motherland” ang tema ng huling photo shoot na kailangang maipakilala ang ipinagmamalaking kultura at tradisyunal na kasuotan ng kani-kanilang bansa. Hindi maikakaila na ang kanyang nagniningning na kasuotan ay may malaking naiambag sa pagkapanalo ng dalaga.

“That image is exactly what I wanted to see from you at the end of this competition,” papuri kay Mauren ni Cindy Bishop, professional model na isa sa mga hurado ngayong season. “You delivered that quiet confidence, which showed that you have been soaking up everything we’ve been telling you, that you’ve been taking everything in and just completely laid it all out for us. And I am so, so happy to see that.”

“Sensual but not offensive,” papuri naman ni Pia Wurtzbach sa huling litratong naipanalo ng dalaga.

Ayon kay Maureen, noong siya na lang ang natitirang Pilipina na magpapatuloy sa kompetisyon, mas umalab ang damdamin niyang maipanalo ang contest -- hindi lang para sa kanya kundi para sa bansa.

“The whole time I thought like maybe me and another Filipina might get the top spots. But by the third episode, the other Filipinas were gone! Suddenly I was alone. That motivated me to do my best because a Filipina has never won,” aniya.

Pinasalamatan ni Maureen ang kanyang fans at supporters sa kanyang Instagram post.

“There were times where I felt like giving up, but I knew that it couldn’t be an option. I was the last Filipina standing and a Filipina has never won before. I wanted to win this for my country – the Philippines and I’m so happy to say that I did. This is all for you guys.”

Bilang bahagi ng mga premyo, nakuha ni Maureen ang kontrata sa London-based na Storm Model Management, cover photo ng Nylon Singapore’s online edition at ilang high-profile fashion campaigns at isang Subaru car.