Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray has been recognized as a ‘Women of Influence’ by the Cosmopolitan Philippines for the humanitarian aid in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The diva recently shared a picture of the award with a caption in which she has expressed her gratitude towards being recognised as one of the six ‘Women of Influence’.
Cosmopolitan Philippines' Women of Influence Awards is a celebration of fun, fearless, and forward Filipina personalities who've made a significant mark in Philippine society. The organization of the Cosmopolitan Philippines mentioned that since the world continues to face the extreme challenges due to covid19 scare, it was only legit for them to honour the women who have been putting themselves out in the frontline to help the ones in need. The stated, “This year's six awardees used their influence for humanitarian aid in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to inspire a new generation of Filipinos to stand up and use their voice, especially when it is needed the most.”
Catriona is no stranger to using her voice and platform to help others and especially in such tough times, she has always tried to help the communities and people in her community who needed help. As soon as the pandemic hit the community, she reached out to ‘Young Focus’, a non-profit organization she’s been working with, to see how they can serve the families in Tondo, where necessities are scarce. Together, they launched the #NoWorkNoRice campaign, a fundraiser to supply families with 15 kilograms of rice along with other food—every 10 days until the lockdown ended.
The diva’s efforts didn’t stop her, after she was named as the ambassador of National Commission for Culture and the Arts, she launched ‘Kultura 101 with Cat’ which is her way of educating the public and especially the youth about the Filipino heritage, arts, and culture. She will also be partnering up with the Department of Trade and Industry's One Town, One Product (OTOP) in a travel show that'll take her to different provinces where she can learn more about locally made products.
The beauty queen has recently collaborated with Bayanihan Musikahan to promote their ‘Mask4AllPH’ campaign, which is an initiative focused on community involvement and upcycling to provide free masks to urban poor families. She also has another campaign with Young Focus called ‘Quality Education for All’; they are raising money to put up two computer centres with social distancing barriers for students in Smokey Mountain, Tondo.
When asked to Catriona about her experience, she mentioned, “We provided personal hygiene kits, donated blankets and clothes, noodles, utensils, and shoes to around 500 displaced fire victims. I couldn't imagine that in the face of having no work and a pandemic that these people also lost their homes so I had to do something to help. Giving back also became a priority because it helped me with the anxiety I felt. It gave me hope.”
Miss Universe 2018 Catriona had stated that she hopes to see people taking matters into their own hands and giving in small ways to their countrymen in need. She explained that helping each other could be in anyway like in the form of buying groceries from local farmers, offering services for free, helping an elderly neighbour, or sponsoring a family. “And I hope once this all comes to pass that we will see ourselves in our countrymen and choose to support local,” she lastly added.