Divisive and discriminatory beauty standards can target anyone. Even Miss Universe Philippines Chelsea Manalo, known today for her beaming confidence on the pageant stage, was once a victim of these harmful beauty ideals.
In the second episode of her interview, "In Her Shoes" by Empire Philippines, Chelsea Manalo opened up about the challenges and inspiration she found in her journey. Growing up as Chelsea Manalo was "very challenging," she revealed, as she struggled with the wounds inflicted by rigid beauty standards, which deeply affected her confidence.
"Natatawag akong 'ulingling,' 'negra,' 'kulot salot.' Ayan mga sinasabi saakin kasi noon di naman ako nag-aayos ng hair. Lumalabas lang ako na kulot na kulot. Tapos maitim na payat (pa ako)," Chelsea recounted.
"Sabi ko 'Filipino naman ako. Dito naman ako lumaki sa Pilipinas.' Bakit iba yung trato sa akin? It's so easy for them to say these words kaya maiiyak ka talaga and you'd come home to your parents na naiiyak ka," she addressed.
Chelsea highlighted that no matter how painful the criticisms are and the only option she could do to cope was cry and go home to her parents. She never took revenge into her own hands even though she admitted that she wanted to.
Just like anyone who faces constant scrutiny, Chelsea's self-confidence took a hit. She, too, struggled with the impact of being repeatedly judged by others. "Sometimes it was even the adults pa. Sila yung nagsasalita. So nawawalan ako ng confidence somehow. They would tell me, 'Hindi mo kaya yan,' 'Hanggang diyan ka lang, 'Hindi ka naman maganda, why would you join,'" Chelsea emphasized.
Despite a bittersweet childhood, Chelsea shared that the support from her parents and loved ones played a significant role in helping her overcome the challenges she faced, particularly the discrimination rooted in rigid beauty standards.
"Naging malaking factor yung suporta ng parents ko and my real friends na nagpatibay sa akin to grow as a person, to be who I am. That no matter what people say, life goes on. Move forward. Hindi natatapos ang pangarap o ang isang bagay kapag may humahadlang," Chelsea stressed.
Chelsea Manalo: 'Representation Matters'
In moments of disempowerment, having a role model to guide you through struggles is crucial. Who you look up to matters—representation matters. Chelsea emphasized that seeing women in the media who shared her skin color and hair type inspired her to embrace her true self from a young age. This sense of representation motivated her and played a significant role in her journey into pageantry.
"Actually isa sa mga tao na nag-inspire sa akin at a very young age, it was Ms. Tyra Banks.. Noong napanood ko kasi 'yung America's Next Top Model, siya yung host tapos gandang-ganda ako sa kanya—her eyes, yung color niya, yung smile niya," she shared.
"I saw myself in her. Nakikinig na ako the way she speaks. She motivates and influences people at a young age, like me. Ang laki ng impact eh," she added.
Chelsea mentioned that in the Philippines, Venus Raj, the former Miss Universe Philippines, inspired her not just in her pageant career but in life. She said that seeing Venus Raj made her think that if she can do it, she can one day do it, too.
"Here in the Philippines, it was Ms. Venus Raj. Somehow siya yung naaalala ko not just in pageantry but for herself, because yung life story niya has really inspired a lot of people. She's making a breakthrough in opening the barriers of beauty," Chelsea said.
Chelsea expressed that such representation in the media made her proud of who she is and encouraged others to embrace their journey to self-acceptance. "Isa sa mga proud ako is kung sino ako ngayon. Kung sino at anong kulay ko, yun ang gusto kong ipagmalaki kasi it took me a long time to accept myself. But again, our own time will come," Chelsea stated.
"Love yourself. Don't be too hard on yourself. Love your life. Love your journey. Your journey can sometimes be rough and rocky. Pero everything happens for a reason. Just continue to be kind," she encouraged.
