Being Siargao's first-ever representative to the Miss Universe Philippines is already an honor and distinction, but for Michele Angela Okol, her advocacy goes beyond beauty and grace as she promotes self-acceptance and a sustainable lifestyle.
The 20-year-old Michele, a consistent first honor and dean's lister taking up political science in one of Manila's top universities, knows firsthand what it is like to be bullied for being “too big” for her age when she was in her early teenage years.
For her, the Miss Universe Philippines is a platform to empower Filipino women by promoting self-acceptable and self-love and by celebrating individuality while aiming to become a better person.
“A better you can contribute to a better world,” the soft-spoken, doe-eyed pageant contestant said.
Michele is also advocating sustainable fashion, and she walks the talk by practicing “thrift flipping” or “reworking”—that of upcycling clothes and accessories bought from thrift stores.
“This is my humble contribution to curb the adverse effect of large amounts of waste and harmful gases that factories create or emit to the environment,” she said.
“Unsold mass produced items just end up being stocked or thrown away,” Michele added.
Michele, along with 98 other candidates, are vying for the Miss Universe Philippines crown.
If you wish to support Michele's Miss Universe Philippines' journey, simply download the Miss Universe application (for Android: https://bit.ly/3rxx5pv, for iOs: https://apple.co/3i6bxNI) and vote for her.