After years of being a mentor to aspiring beauty queens, Kali Navea-Huff has now joined the national pageant representing Pasig City in Miss Universe Philippines 2023 competition.
Her experience behind the scene of the competition has given Kali the confidence to be a participant, bolstered by her knowledge of the inner workings of the pageant.
She remarked to PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) during an exclusive interview last April 11, 2023, "Actually, this is my first-ever national pageant, so it's been a wild ride."
The interview took place during the official press presentation of the pageant held at the Marquis Events Place in Bonifacio Global City.
The 28-year-old aspiring beauty queen continued, "I know a little bit of what to expect because I was in the pageantry world for three years but behind the scenes.
"So now, to have my own moment in the spotlight and to bring my story with me, means a lot."
TRAINING BEAUTY QUEENS
During her time at the pageant camp Aces & Queens, Kali served as a mentor to candidates who became winners—among them Rabiya Mateo and Beatriz Luigi Gomez, Miss Universe Philippines titleholders both, and Binibining Pilipinas International 2021 Hannah Arnold.
She revealed, "I was training [them] for Q&A, advocacy, and interview skills."
Kali has also trained several candidates who are now her fellow competitors and pageant sisters in the Miss Universe Philippines 2023 pageant.
She said, "My fellow sisters in the competition, I've had the honor of training, like Pauline Amelinckx, Jan Marie [Bordon] from Bacolod.
"And so, to have them not just as my mentees, but now as my sisters, I get to see the whole new side of them and good to see them flourish as well. And it's amazing."
Kali has been particularly impressed by Pauline and her progress in the pageant industry.
"With Pauline, and I was very lucky to know her for the past three years, the first two times she joined Miss Universe Philippines.
"I trained her, of course, for the final Q&A, but [I] also helped her build her advocacy as well.
"And so to see her grow each and every year, not just as a mentee, but now as a sister, I get to see how she brings her community forward."
That being said, Kali expressed her desire to help empower not just the women she has worked with in the past, but the millions of women across the country.
She said, "It's really been incredible because I want to do that for not just the woman I've done for it in the past, but millions of women all over the country and, hopefully, the universe soon."
JOINING MISS UNIVERSE PHILIPPINES
Kali felt inspired to join the Miss Universe Philippines pageant after hearing R'Bonney Gabriel's winning answer at the Miss Universe 2023 pageant about raising the competition's age requirement .
During the final question-and-answer segment of the Miss Universe 2023 pageant, R'Bonney was asked about another change she would like to see in the competition, given the recent inclusive change allowing mothers and married women to participate.
The Filipino-American fashion designer expressed her desire for an increase in the age limit for candidates, citing her own age of 28 as the current maximum.
Kali found Gabriel's response inspiring and decided to pursue her own path in the pageant world.
She said, "I realized, of course, it is my last year. And as R'Bonney said, 'If not now, then when?' di ba?"
Kali was also inspired to join the local edition of the pageant by the change in ownership of Miss Universe to Thai transwoman billionaire Anne Jakrajutatip.
She explained, "The big sign really is the new ownership because it is, one, a powerful Asian person... an Asian trans woman at that.
"And so, with Anne, a member of LGBTQ plus community, to me, that was just a sign that it is time for pageantry to continue to evolve.
"And really not just, you know, talk the talk, but walk the walk in terms of inclusivity. And so that was a big push for me."
Above all, Kali saw her participation in the Miss Universe Philippines pageant as a means to raise awareness about gender-based violence, drawing from her personal experience as a survivor.
She told PEP.ph, "I realized that my story is also powerful, my voice is also strong, just like I've told my former mentees.
"To have the opportunity to do that for myself now is... it means the universe to me, truly."
Thrilled to be part of the pageant, Kali said, "I'm loving it, of course, getting to know the other candidates, but especially seeing myself grow, learn more not just about my country, my city, but about myself as well.
"Because when you're under the pressure, of course, you're under the expectations of others as well as yourself, you can either form into a diamond or even crack under that pressure.
"And I'm loving how I'm growing, I'm loving how I'm maturing, and it's really an exciting journey."
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