Raya, who is currently the image model of Folded & Hung, will compete on the runway with models from other countries worldwide, says: "Being the Philippine entry to this competition will in itself be a rewarding experience for me." Standing 5’9 at 106 pounds, the 21-year old Raya started full-time professional modeling last March after her graduation from Ateneo University where she was a Dean’s Lister. She took up AB Interdisciplinary Studies, majoring in Theater Arts and Communication Arts.
Recently, Raya modeled in China for the Department of Trade’s CITEM showcasing Philippine couture; in Tokyo for Pitoy Moreno’s Filipiniana collection; in Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia on board Keren Pascual’s Star Cruises voyage for Human and Neutrogena; and in Hong Kong for Jewelmer’s pearl jewellery collection.
Her first couture show was for Inno Sotto under the direction of Richard Tann, for which Ariel Lozada trained her. "Ariel is such a creative, nurturing mentor and director," Raya says.
A member of the Professional Models Association of the Philippines (PMAP), Raya did parttime modeling in high school for Stefanel, an experience which brought her to the clothing firms’ factory in Italy. She also spent a high school year in West Lafayette, Indiana as a Youth For Understanding (YFU) scholar. "Modelling is fun, but I wouldn’t want it to prevent me from traveling and learning more," she says. Next year, Raya will take post-graduate courses at Oxford University in England.