Miss World PH 2019 bet Glyssa Perez advocates breast cancer awareness

By: Rizal Obanil
Published September 2, 2019, 5:51 PM
By Robert Requintina

Former Miss World Philippines 2017 First Princess Glyssa Perez gets emotional whenever she recalls that moment her mother initially told her about having breast cancer.

(ROBERT REQUINTINA / MANILA BULLETIN)

“I can still remember vividly about one month before I pursued my passion. I was in a car driving. And she (mother) told me, ‘anak.’ I really knew that in the tone of her voice that something was up. She told me about breast cancer,” said Perez, during a meet-and-greet event in Mandaluyong City Sunday night.

Perez added: “I was so devastated because I knew she would be needing chemotheraphy.”

She wanted to back out of Miss World Philippines 2017 pageant to take care of her mother Leonita. But her mom pushed her to follow her dreams and pursue it. She won first runner-up in the contest.

Now the Australian-born Filipina is making a comeback in the pageant scene as one of 40 official candidates for Miss World Philippines 2019 beauty pageant.

In her comeback, Perez wants to promote breast cancer awareness after her mom survived the disease.

“I fell in love with the pageant’s motto ‘Beauty With A Purpose.’ I came back this year because I want to advocate something that’s very close to my heart which is breast cancer awareness. She’s a breast cancer survivor,” said Perez, who was also accompanied by her father Godofredo during the press conference.

Perez has teamed up with Philippine Foundation of Breast Care, Inc. (Kasuso) in the beginning of 2018 to raise awareness and raise funds to help the lives of Kasuso patients in the Philippines.

“The vision of this project together with Kasuso is to impart to patients that they don’t have to face breast cancer alone and having the support of others is an important part of breast cancer survivorship,” she said.

Perez finished her bachelor’s degree in comnerce majoring in finance in Sydney, Australia.

She’s also a pageant veteran having competed her first pageant at age 16 in 2011 when she won Miss Woodcroft.

Perez was also crowned Miss WOW Blacktown, and Miss WOW Charity (2012), Miss Philippines-Australia (2014), Miss Bohol 2016, Miss JCI Visayas 2016, Miss JCI Philipppines 2016, and Miss Philippines 2017.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2lKxsKeHcw