Mercedes Romero Pair, candidate number 34, is representing Cebu in Binibining Pilipinas 2020. It is her first time joining the national pageant in the Philippines but in fact she has competed in international pageants before in Miss Tourism World 2018, Face of Asia 2018 and Miss World Noble Queen International 2018. She thought of joining Binibining Pilipinas 2020 because it is a great platform to reach a wider audience in the Philippines. Not only she wanted to continue to follow her passion in pageantry but also to learn how she can take part in giving back to the society.
Mercedes is the breadwinner at home. She works as a model, actress, and radio host in Hong Kong to help to support the family. Growing up in a multicultural background allowed Mercedes to learn five languages which include Cebuano, English, Cantonese, Mandarin and Tagalog. She loves travelling, singing and reading.
Before the competition officially begins, here she is, talking about her dreams, advocacy, debut stint and guilty pleasures in an exclusive interview with Angelopedia.
Q. How does it feel to be a delegate of Binibining Pilipinas 2020?
I feel honoured to be part of the Binibining Pilipinas family. I’m blessed and I believe I can learn a lot throughout the journey. A lot of influential queens that I admire are made through this beauty pageant and I want to experience this whole journey. I see this not just an opportunity to explore my potentials but also to discover the possibilities of making things happen.
Q. What inspired you to the world of pageantry?
I always admire the ladies who took the courage to join pageants. Behind the glam on stage are the hard work and efforts. It is not an easy task to wear a sash that represents the nation / a country. I am more inspired after knowing the stories of Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach and Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, I realised that pageantry can be very meaningful. It is not just about the look and personal growth but also how you impact the society. This had motivated me to keep joining pageantry and to continue to discover my capabilities.
Q. How would you like to represent yourself at the stage of Binibining Pilipinas 2020?
I am a lady who believes that nothing is impossible. If we dare to dream it, we should also dare to do it. I stood here because I chose to follow my dream despite all circumstances. I stood here because I believe I have greater mission and purpose to make an impact. I am grateful I'm given a chance to be on this stage standing in front of all of you, to express myself, to be able to enjoy the stage, to be able to pursue a higher level of my pageantry life. I hope to use what I've learnt in life to share positivity and inspire others.
Q. If you win, which international pageant would you like to represent Philippines in?
I believe being able to represent the country is already an honour. Of course, if I am able to choose, I would definitely choose Miss International as I've always vision myself walking on that stage and I am in favour of their goal promoting world peace, goodwill and understanding.
Q. Who is your role model, if any, and what values of his or her do you wish you could inculcate in your own life, and teach the next generation?
Catriona Gray and Pia Wurtzbach.
I always admire confident, independent and self-reliant women. Being a breadwinner in the family and is in an easy. I myself have been supporting my own family since college and I have gone through the hard times making tough decisions. I have high respect to Queen Caitriona and Pia as they’re good examples of spreading that love and kindness to the universe. They are people that I look up to and I’d like to follow their path and be an inspiration to others as well.
I admire Pia Wurtzbach’s determination joining the third time in the national pageant and finally hard work paid off. She is a living example showing us with dedication and passion, we shall get to where we want to be.
I also admire Catriona Gray’s personality. Not only she is extraordinarily beauty outside but also inside. She had that tremendously kind heart and her wit made her remain very remarkable in our mind.
Apart from that, they both succeed to remain calm, wise and intelligent in front of people even though they’re under stress specially when all eyes are on them. I’m sure they have prepared well and worked so hard before they take on the challenges.
What I would like to share with the next generation is that no matter what challenges life throws at us, as long as we have faith and the determination to make things happen, we can eventually get to where we want to be.
Q. What is the one thing that keeps you going and inspires you to be the best version of yourself?
I think as a global citizen, we should be curious about what’s happening around us and keep learning so as to adapt to environmental changes easily and when changes does happen we can remain more calm and rational.
For now, my motivation is to provide a better living for my family and at the same time I want to be have a stable career and financially free. By then, I will be able to focus on things that I want to pursue in life wholeheartedly and live my life to the fullest.
Q. Would you like to share your most special childhood memory with us?
I miss my bedtime stories! That’s my favourite moment and it also cultivated my interests in reading. My mom used to tell me bedtime stories when I was a young and I enjoy that moment a lot as I felt so much love and care. It was a memorable boding time. There’s nothing happier going to bed happily feeling loved and cared.
If I will have kids in the coming future, I would wish to do it with them as well. I think it is an important moment to bond and build good relationships with a child. It encourages the child to be motivated in reading and learning. Meanwhile, they can feel that they’re being accompanied, loved and cared.
Q. If you can be invisible for a day, what would you do?
I have always find psychology interesting. If I can be invisible for a day perhaps I'd observe people's behaviour and see what kind of person they are when there's no one around them. I always thought that people may have different sides when they’re with others or by themselves. I personally think it's normal. However, if I am able to see through what's their true personality and understand their intentions, I can be more careful and be aware of how should I respond and react.
Q. What or who empowers you to be yourself and work hard every day?
Mia Kang, a fashion model, muay thai fighter, body positivity advocate, and television host born and raised in Hong Kong. She used to be a super skinny model and suffered from but then she didn’t mind how others look at her and ignore their comments despite she’s being body shamed. Now she lives the life she wants and she is stronger and healthier than ever.
Her story inspired me to live my own life and mind my own business because we would never be able to please everyone in the whole world specially when we all have our own preferences. As long as we are happy, our skin colour, our body shape and our look don’t matter.
Q. What is the one thing you can label as your guilty pleasure?
Ice Cream! It’s one thing that I can hardly resist!
Q. We’re sure that this competition is another milestone in your life. What is that one thing that you ultimately want to achieve?
I hope to make the most out of this journey, learn as much as possible and enjoy along the way. Whatever will be will be.
Q. If you are granted three wishes right now, what would you ask for?
Can I wish for having unlimited wishes? Hahah .. joke lang.
If I can only pick three, that would be
World Peace.
No starvation.
A world with no more pain and suffering.
Q. Lastly, is there any message that you would like to give to your fans of Angelopedia?
First, to all the pageant fanatics and readers, thank you for supporting Angelopedia as you are the motivation for all the beauty queens and pageant fanatics to continue following their passion.
Then, to fans who personally support me, I genuinely thank you and hope you can continue support my journey. There are a lot of strong contenders in the competition and I see it as a process of learning how to become a better version of myself. Your love support means a lot to me.
Last, I’d also like to thank Angelopedia for doing this interview with me. I hope you all get to know more about me after this and see you all very soon again!