Funny how time flies; I can't believe it's been seven years since the last time I was able to attend a Mutya function. It's quite amusing to recall how it started with an ardent desire to gather qualitative data for my thesis.

The suggestion to enter the pageantry came in the form of an innocent UPSA costume fitting in Mama Renee's shop.  Haggard from class, I hitched with my choirmates to have my measurements accurately taken. To my surprise, Mama Renee exclaimed "pwede ka Ineng!" when he found out I had a 24 inch waistline hidden in my baggy clothes. I have to credit Ilang ilang Residence Hall for making me lose so much weight back then due to the limited supply of dorm food.

It's quite embarrassing when people casually blurt out your deepest hidden desires. As a little girl, my mom would tell me it's wrong to expect too much from the world.  It's wrong to think too highly of yourself & it's unwise for young girls to grow their hair long. She said "better study & avoid boys so life would be better when you grow up." She forbid me to join Little Miss Philippines and pursue my dream of becoming like Aiza. Thus, I learned to expect the worst and hope for the best.  I prayed for three meals a day, warm baths at night, and a UP diploma.

Until Mama Renee unleashed the wild dream just like that, like some half-meant joke.

Though it did complicate my life bigtime & I wasn't able to pursue singing with the university choir after that, I'll be eternally grateful.  Mama Renee somehow balanced out my biological mother's precepts so I could be less embarrassed to improve myself and realize my dreams.

This year, I hosted Mutya to express my gratitude to him, my pageant trainor Rodgil Flores, and the institution that allowed me to finish data gathering for my undergrad thesis.