Roberta Angela "Ro-An" Tamondong made history when she was crowned Miss Eco Teen International in Egypt back in 2020, as the first Filipino to bag an international title during the pandemic—with only one week of preparation.
“Last year, when I won Ms. Eco Teen, it was a huge achievement for me and my family, and also for the Filipino community because it was during a pandemic,” the beauty queen recalled in an exclusive interview with PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal).
The interview was held during their sponsor visit at Ever Bilena's headquarters in Caloocan City last May 27, 2022, Friday.
Read also: Gabby Basiano feels pressure on her second time joining Binibining Pilipinas
ROAN TAMONDONG: JOURNEY TO BINIBINING PILIPINAS 2022
Fast forward to 2022, Ro-An is now Binibini #40 for the Binibining Pilipinas 2022 pageant.
She shared how it’s like to transition from joining during the pandemic to now that restrictions are easing.
Ro-An said, “But, right now, it's getting more free. There's no travel ban again.
"And, I think, I'm gonna prepare a lot more for this pageant because it's one of the prestigious pageants here in the Philippines.
"It's something worth watching in July.”
The crowning of the newest Binibining Pilipinas title holder is happening this July 31.
As one of the younger candidates, Ro-An also talked about how she is utilizing her experience as a teenage queen in her Binibining Pilipinas 2022 pageant journey.
She expounded, “I'm just 19-years-old, and getting that opportunity to be one of the frontrunners is really something that I can't imagine.
"Because I started when I was very young, and right now, I'm joining Binibining Pilipinas. I can't seem to possibly put this into my mind.
"I'm just taking my time, one step at a time, to just enjoy the journey here in Binibini.
"Because, who knows what future awaits for me, and what crowns I am going to vie, because, you know, I'm just learning every single day.”
She then added, “If ever I win or not, here in Binibini, I will take this as a huge opportunity for me... a learning state for me to become more prepared.
"But, I think, right now, I'm doing my 100% best in this competition. Just setting the right momentum for every event, and also just to train every single day. And to be with my sisters once again.”
The beauty queen also received a lot of advice from her fellow queens.
She shared that she was told to “just have fun in the competition.”
Ro-An further explained, “And that's what I instill every single day in my head. Even with early call time, even if we're up until 9 p.m. for shoots."
"They just told me to just have fun,” stating that “all of the hard work is gonna be paid off” in the end “with [her] Binibini sisters by [her] side.”
KEEPING HER FOCUS
When asked about how she deals with negative comments, she said, “I prefer not to read harsh comments, because it messes with my mental health as well.
"And right now, in Binibini, I also want to take care of my mental health.”
She also tries to have a “positive mindset when posting on social media.”
She expounded, “Because when you post something that is positive, it will go around in the community.
"If you post something that is not positive, or is not nice, it can ruin someone's confidence, self-worth.”
READ MORE: