Everyone knows that a mentor is someone who is considered as an experienced and trusted adviser who always tries his/her best to prepare their student for every challenge in every possible manner. And if we talk about the newly crowned Miss Universe, Pia Wurtzbach’s mentor Jonas Antonio Gaffud, his strong support and meticulous mentoring helped her conquering the ‘Universe’.
Miss Universe Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach’s journey to claim the prestigious pageant crown wasn’t easy for her or for her mentor Jonas Antonio Gaffud.
In a three-part blog post, Gaffud shared the 26-year-old’s journey of her three attempts at Binibining Pilipinas, and the three encounters that they had before fully taking on the young hopeful under his wing.
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Before undergoing pageant training, Wurtzbach was still dreaming of becoming a TV and movie star. Gaffud first saw Wurtzbach in a restaurant with her friends in 2012, where he offered her to train for a pageant. Wurtzbach agreed but he didn’t hear from her again. Their second encounter was during ABS- CBN’s Star Magic Ball.
“She was a young, carefree, happy-go-lucky girl. She did not even recognize me, so I assumed she really wasn’t interested,” said Gaffud in his first blog entry posted on January 5, 2016.
At their third meeting at a mall in Makati City, Gaffud scolded her for snubbing him at the ball, to which Wurtzbach apologized. It was the last time that the mentor offered Wurtzbach a shot at the beauty pageant and the Filipina-German finally agreed at the third try.
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“I assured her she could win, but not without conditions. I told her she had to train very hard. I was quite surprised when she exclaimed, ‘Finally, I have something to do with my life!’,” shared Gaffud.
According to him, she has just finished a soap opera during that time and did not have upcoming projects. She began training in 2012 and eventually joined her first Binibining Pilipinas pageant in 2013 where she was able to claim the first runner-up spot. Gaffud encouraged her to join again.
In 2014, Wurtzbach tried her luck once more, but failed to win a title. She flew to London and came back to the Philippines, out of shape and a bit overweight. This didn’t stop her from pursuing her dreams.
On Wurtzbach’s third attempt, Gaffud said: “When the pageant started and the girls came out, I immediately looked for Pia. When I saw her confidently showing off the straight hair look, I told myself, ‘This is finally it.’.”