Shamcey Supsup-Lee: The next Miss Universe Philippines must have the drive to succeed

By CNN Philippines Staff

Published Jan 29, 2020 11:37:44 PM 

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 29) — In their first press conference of the year, the board of directors of Miss Universe Philippines laid out their plans for this year's pageant.

Speaking to media and pageant aficionados Wednesday, Miss Universe Philippines national director Shamcey Supsup-Lee said, "You don't have to be Miss Universe material agad [outright], but you have to have the potential. And we will be here to train you. So it doesn't matter kung wala ka pang advocacy [if you don't have an advocacy yet]...or, if communication-wise, hindi mo pa gamay [you don't have it all together yet]. But what we're looking for is meron nang...there's this drive, there's this want to improve themselves and be the perfect example or role model of what a true empowered Filipina is."

Lee relayed her own experience of joining the national pageant where she was told by Jonas Gaffud, who is now Miss Universe Philippines' creative director, that she wasn't suited to compete.

"But I had that drive, and I wanted to prove others wrong... Kung meron ka nung ganoong fire and ganoong will, then anything is possible," she added.

She also addressed the issue of this organization being separate from Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc., the group that has crowned international beauty queens including four Miss Universe winners.

Lee won the Binibining Pilipinas Universe crown in 2011, and placed third in the international pageant.

Lee said she would be forever grateful for the opportunities that came her way.

"For me, to be a product of Binibini... I'm still a Binibini, always a Binibini,, and I will always be grateful for the opportunity that the Aranetas have given to me, to all of us. We will not be here without them... I feel like that we can still support each other even if we have different pageants, I don't think it should be a rivalry," she said.

She also revealed she wanted to "reach out" to the Aranetas in the next few weeks and to talk to them in person, adding she was very close to them.

In December last year, it was announced that the country's Miss Universe franchise was no longer with the Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc.

Apart from Lee, the other members of the Miss Universe Philippines board are Albert Andrada as the Design Council Head, pageant mentor Jonas Gaffud as the Creative Director, Lia Ramos as Head of Women Empowerment Committee and Charity, Atty. Nad Bronce as Head of Legal Affairs, and Mario Garcia as Business Development/ Marketing Head.

With the separation of the Miss Universe franchise, the current titles under Binibining Pilipinas are Bb. Pilipinas International, Bb. Pilipinas Supranational, Bb. Pilipinas Intercontinental, Bb. Pilipinas Globe, and Bb. Pilipinas Grand International.

https://cnnphilippines.com/lifestyle/2020/1/29/shamcey-supsup-miss-universe-philippines.html