MANILA, Philippines — Binibining Pilipinas Globe 2019 Leren Mae Bautista has just arrived in Montenegro to compete at the 2019 Miss Globe pageant to be held in Albania and Montenegro on October 21.
In a prior exclusive interview with Philstar.com, Leren admitted that she used to hate being a "morena" or brown-skinned, so she tried different ways to be fair, including using whitening products.
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"I did. Kasi before (I thought) para mag-fit in ako, gusto ko magpaputi rin," said the 26-year-old beauty queen from Laguna, who was bullied and called "negra" for being "morena."
"Nag-try ako magpaputi just to fit in lang. Tapos ang brother ko against talaga dun. Sabi n'ya: 'Wag ka na magpaputi, ang ganda na ng skin mo. Ba't kailangan mo pa gawin 'yan? Tapos ako, 'di ko s'ya ma-appreciate before. Parang ako, maputi, maganda."
But after college, when Leren began joining beauty pageants, including Miss Tourism Queen of the Year International, which she won in 2015, Bautista has come to love her inborn complexion.
"Tapos eventually, when I accepted myself, like 'yung color... kasi nung college, parang gusto mo pumuti lang to fit in the standards... Tapos 'yun, parang inaccept ko na lahat. I'm just this. I'm beautiful in my own way, tapos I just started to believe in myself. So 'yun 'yung pinanghawakan ko althroughout sa journey at sa na-experience ko."
If victorious, Leren could become the Philippines' third Miss Globe winner after Maricar Balagtas (2001) and Ann Lorraine Colis (2015). — Video by EC Toledo IV, editing by Kat Leandicho