Mela Habijan is taking every chance she gets to show that we are all strong and beautiful—no matter where we lie in the spectrum
Fighting the patriarchy in a conservative country can get pretty draining. However, women are still striving for the betterment of our fellow females in this generation and the next. One of the people who has a lot of fight in her is Mela Habijan. The Miss Trans Global of 2020 is a loud and proud transgender woman who continues to fight not just for equal rights for women, but also for the entire LGBTQ+ community who want nothing more than equality and acceptance.
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A powerful woman who doesn’t back down
Mela has made it her mission to ensure that help and support are given to those who need it most, and for them to experience it sooner rather than later. For Mela, power is a strong tool in making positive change happen. She believes power lies within and we must use it to be an inspiration to others for their own growth and happiness. One way for her to use her influence is by being incredibly outspoken. She shares, “We’ve been outspoken because history will tell us that women have been on the sidelines, have just been in the shadows of men. But right now, we are putting back the light in our identity and the growth of women in terms of getting to know [our] own power, and letting the world know that [we] are at par and just as equal as men.”
Her source of pride
A woman’s power is also her beauty. Growing up, women were taught how to look and act a certain way, and this extended to their hair—how to wear it and what to do with it. As a transgender woman, Mela has always considered her hair as a source of confidence because it showcases her journey as a transwoman. “Taking good care of [my hair] allows me to see where I am now, back to where I was before, [as well as] finding myself and getting to know who I really am. My hair is always a signifier of my pride, and now I can tell myself, ‘I’m proud of you.’”
This power woman list co-presented by Pantene will also appear on MEGA’s April 2022 issue. Stay tuned!
Photography DOOKIE DUCAY
Creative Direction JANN PASCUA
Art Direction NICOLE ALMERO
Beauty Direction MIA CASTRO
Makeup PONG NIU
Hair DARWIN SIÑEL
Stylist GEE JOCSON assisted by MIKE LESOY, JASON MAGO, and MARKO JEFFERSON MOYA
Photography Assistants MARK CATUNGA and ANTHONY LUMAGBAS
Shoot Coordination KZ FRANCISCO, MJ ALMERO, MAVIC VEDAÑA, and LOUIS ESGUERRA
Shot on location UPPER DECK PH
