To the mothers who raised queens

MANILA, Philippines - People look up to them as the newest beauty queens that are expected to bring home international crowns. But for MJ Lastimosa (Miss Universe Philippines), Kris Tiffany Janson (Bb. Pilipinas Intercontinental), Yvethe Marie Santiago (Bb. Pilipinas Supranational), Laura Lehmann (first runner-up) and Hannah Sison (second runner-up), there is one woman that they will forever love and honor — their mothers. They share the reasons why.

MJ grew up under the care of her uncles and aunts because her parents are based in Saudi Arabia. However, she reveals that she never felt deprived of her mom Maritess’ love despite the distance. “My Mom always made me feel her love because of the constant communication and her annual visits to me and my sister. I knew that paramount among their concerns was that I get a good education and live a comfortable life. For that, I am forever grateful to them, ” MJ says.

MJ says that she is motivated to work hard at her goals to make her mom even prouder. One time, she overheard her mom boasting to Filipinos she met at the hotel lobby about her accomplishments. “I never knew my mom was so proud of me,” MJ says. They also share a common passion — shopping. It is their bonding activity. Beyond fashion, however, her mom uses these sessions to teach MJ about value for money spending.

Having a long distance relationship has posed challenges on their family. There were times when MJ and her mom didn’t see eye to eye on things. There was a time when MJ was insisting that her parents come back to the Philippines for good. “I know our situation, but sometimes my heart refuses to understand,” MJ says. “However, after talking it over, I realized that having a perfect family doesn’t necessarily mean physical togetherness. It is more about making sacrifices and nurturing the relationship despite the distance. Love will always conquer all the challenges. What is important is that my family is always very supportive and loving,” she affirms.

MJ is wishing that soon, she would be able to fulfill her ultimate dream for her mom. “I want to build a house for my mom and see my parents comfortable in life. I know that would really make her happy. I know that someday, I will be able to give her that ultimate Mother’s Day gift,” MJ says.

For Kris Tiffany, her mom Teresa Fe is her best travel buddy. They enjoy going to new places and enjoying good food together. “Even before we have unpacked our luggage from the recent trip, we would already be planning our next journey. In fact, one of the most memorable moments we have had is that time we spent Christmas in New York with my brother,” says Kris.

There is no doubt that the bond between Kris and her mom is strong. “She knows I am sick even before I do. We love to eat out and try new restaurants. Also, I appreciate her big sacrifice when I joined Binibini. She moved to Manila to take care of my needs,” Kris discloses.

Maybe to track the time that they spend traveling, Kris would like to give her mom a nice expensive watch for Mother’s Day. “It is going to be a small token for the big sacrifices that she has done for me,” she says.

Despite their hectic schedules, Yvethe and mom Nida would always find time to watch their favorite teleseryes, especially during her college days. “No matter how busy our days were, my mom and I would find ourselves in the living room couch, following our favorite evening drama. At first, we would watch in silence, then as the show drew to a close, we would start our post-teleserye analysis, which goes into a recap of our individual days. It was like a girl talk, among teenagers!” says Yvethe.

Yvethe will never forget the time when she competed for World Miss University, an academe-related pageant in Seoul, South Korea. It was her first trip with her mom abroad. “It was my first international pageant and having my Mom with me the whole time, seeing how proud she was, gave me the feeling I had already won,” shares Yvethe.

For Mother’s Day, Yvethe is thinking of getting her mom a pair of comfortable wedge shoes. “I love dolling her up and as they say, a great pair of shoes can bring you to great places. It is a small token for all the things she has done for me. My mom is really my supra-hero,” Yvethe says.

Being raised by a solo parent has had its ups and downs, says Laura. “My mom Candy raised me to become independent. She worked very hard to provide me with topnotch education. That is why when I took a leave of absence from school in order to join the competition; it ran counter to everything my mom worked for. Still, she supported my decision whole-heartedly and allowed me to pursue my dreams. In return, I promised her that I would still continue my studies eventually,” Laura states.

Laura’s studies were also the reason for their most challenging moments of their relationship. “I left home to study abroad and it was the first time my mother and I would be apart. Thank God for Skype, we were able to stay in touch and strengthened our relationship despite being oceans apart,” says Laura.

Whenever they have the time, Laura and her mom would go biking and engage in outdoor activities. They both love the beach and cherish the time to bond and catch on with one another in the midst of their hectic schedules.

For Mother’s Day, Laura is planning to give her mom a scrapbook of all the pictures of their travel and bonding moments. “It would be a heartfelt gift that I know that she would love and enjoy,” Laura gushes.

Had her mom Editha been made of less stern stuff Hannah would not have seen the light of day. “My mom loved me enough to give birth to me. My mom was stricken with a terrible disease when I was still in her womb. Doctors had advised her to terminate the pregnancy because the baby might come out abnormal or with several physical defects. Still, she had great faith and chose to have me. I am now 25 years old and I love my mom so much for loving me enough to make me come out in the world,” Hannah shares.

The precarious circumstances surrounding her birth may have been the reason for the strictness and concern of Hannah’s mom. Hannah bares a rebellious streak, especially about hanging out with friends against her mom’s wishes. Eventually though, Hannah was able to convince her mom to relax her stringent ways and assured her that she would be safe.

“My mom knows everything. She is always the one I turn to for everything I need. I just cannot imagine a home without her,” Hannah says.

If Hannah had her way, her dream gift for her mom would be a retirement package and a brand-new car. “I know she sacrifices a lot when I borrow her car even when she needs it. Her car has so many scratches and bumps because of my driving,” confesses Hannah.

MJ, Kris, Yvethe, Laura and Hannah may be the beauty queens that Filipinos admire. But in their eyes, their mothers, Maritess, Teresa Fe, Nida, Candy and Editha, are the women that can fix the world, perform magic, cheer them on as they pursue their dreams, and make everything all right.