In a Zoom call with MEGA Ent editor G3 San Diego, Pia Wurtzbach shares how a secret dream came true—right on the heels of winning the Miss Universe crown
Related: Pia Wurtzbach lists the first two out of five happiest moments in her life
“I have a lot of really happy moments, siyempre kasama na yung Miss Universe, but I think one really happy, grateful moment of mine was when my mom allowed me to live in the Philippines alone, noong mag-cu-culinary pa lang ako,” shares Pia Wurtzbach.
Unfinished Business
“I was only 19 or 18. Nasa airport na kami at may ticket ako pabalik ng UK, sasama ako sa kanila, nandiyan yung mga bagahe ko. Dramatic talaga! Sa airport dun ko sinabi sa mama ko na ‘Ma, parang hindi ako sasama. I have unfinished business here, I feel it. Stay muna ako, meron akong mga gustong gawin.’ Tapos, pinayagan niya ako,” Pia remembers.
“It came to me as a surprise that she trusted me and allowed me stay to pursue the things that I wanted to do. Tapos maliit lang yung budget ko noon pero pinayagan niya ako so I was like ‘Wow! I’m really thankful for that na hindi ako nahirapang magpaalam sa kanya.
And of course, we all know now what Pia had to do—join the Binibining Pilipinas pageant thrice to finally snatch that elusive crown.
Extra, Extra
“One more is the very first time, and I don’t think nakwento ko ‘to sa iba pero, the very first time that I got an endorsement deal,” Pia remembers.
“It matters to me because I’ve been to so many auditions in my teenage life and I was always rejected. I never land commercials that I want. Nagiging ‘extra’ lang ako. Extra ako sa commercial ni Anne Curtis dati. Extra as in nasa background lang ako palagi, tapos yung paa ko lang yung makikita mo, ganung klase. Hindi ako nakukuha.”
However, Pia Wurtzbach’s secret dream was coming true—sooner than she expected.
“When I won Miss Universe, hindi ko naman inisip na, ‘Eto na magkakaroon na ako ng mga commercial,’ hindi mo naman i-aim yung Miss Universe with commercials at the back of your mind. Parang naging bonus na lang ‘yun. Hindi ko naman inexpect na may mga lalapit na mga brands. Basta sa akin, manalo lang siyempre. Yun yung focus ko, manalo lang. So when the first one came, they called me for a meeting, first week ko pa lang, tapos sinabi nila sa akin na ‘Well, we have your first brand endorsement.’ Tapos sabi ko, ‘Talaga?’ And I just remember na naiyak ako. I told them ‘I wasn’t expecting this but you don’t know how this will change my life and how this will help me help my family, like you guys have no idea where I came from and how broke I was,’” Pia explains.
“I never thought that I would be in a commercial, that I would have this talent fee. Yung tulong agad yung naisip ko, na matutulungan ko na yung kapatid ko, matutulungan ko na yung mama ko. Hindi na kami mag-aalala, alam mo yung parang sobrang grateful ko so I think that was one big happy moment for me,” she adds.
And with four of the five happiest moments in her life related to achievement, one and only one had to be related to love.
Would it be meeting Jeremy Jauncey?
