Miss Universe Philippines 2021 Beatrice Luigi Gomez: On Being Raised by a Single Mom
Miss Universe Philippines 2021 Beatrice Luigi Gomez and her sister were raised by a single mom and went to college thanks to sports scholarships.
Miss Universe Philippines 2021 Beatrice Luigi Gomez has been known to show her fierce side during photo shoots, catwalks, and pageant activities. But she showed a different side of her in her introduction video for Miss Universe released last December 6.
In the video, Bea spoke about her family life. She shared that she and her sister were raised solo by their mom.
“I was raised by a single mom and she had quite a hard time managing our household,” she said. “My sister and I tried out for the volleyball varsity team and we were able to get an athletic scholarship. That’s how we were able to go to a good school from high school to college.”
Bea added that being part of a varsity team is not just an achievement but also changed her life.
“I was able to help my mom in some way and I was able to make her proud.”
The Cebuana beauty also spoke about her work as a social worker, graduating as a marine reservist, and the support she’s been getting as the first openly queer Miss Universe Philippines.
“I am very grateful that the Philippines is very supportive of sending an LGBTQ member to represent our country. It’s a big deal because we are here to give positivity and be an inspiration especially to the young children who are looking up to us. That they can be whoever they want to be when they grow up,” she said.
Bea’s advocacy is inspired by her story
Coming from a broken family is one of the reasons why Bea’s social work is catered to children in conflict with the law. In an interview with MEGA, she said that she was lucky to have her mom. But the kids she works with did not have the same opportunity.
“I was lucky enough that my mom guided me properly and provided me with everything that I needed to become the person that I am now. But these children, they weren’t able to have this,” she said.
“These children, they’re considered a nuisance to the community because they’re juvenile delinquents. And some people don’t understand that these children are also just victims. That they also need to be guided.”
Bea’s story is nothing new in today’s society. Several beauty queens who represented the country in the past years have also shared about being raised by single mothers. Among those who shared their stories include Miss Universe Philippines 2019 Gazini Ganados and Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Rabiya Mateo.
Beatrice Luigi Gomez is currently in Israel vying for the country’s 5th crown. The coronation night is on December 13, Manila time.
Looking for inspirational stories? Check out these articles on single moms:
Single Mom Woes: Taking The High Road
