Gazini’s Next Dream: A Senior Citizens’ Center

It's been a month since Gazini Christiana Jordi Ganados was named as the country's bet to this year's Miss Universe, and the 23-year-old Filipino-Palestinian beauty admits that the life-changing coronation moment has finally sunk in.

"Every morning, I remind myself I have to be prim and proper and all that. But sometimes I forget because I'm the type of beauty queen that is not so 'queenly'? I'm the rugged type. In fact, before, I used to ride the Angkas!" she tells The Philippine STAR, referring to the motorcycle ride-hailing company.

The tourism graduate from University of San Jose-Recoletos in Cebu is learning to embrace her newfound fame, which comes with being a prestigious titleholder in a pageant-crazy country like the Philippines.

"People in the airport, even if I am wearing a cap or shades — you know, super dressed down — it shocks me that they recognize me," Ganados muses. "And I didn't know that video greeting is part of being Miss Universe Philippines (laughs)! Even my closest friends, they asked me to do video greetings for them. But it's okay. So far, it's great."

Nevertheless, there's still that tone of incredulity as she looks back on her victory last June 9 at the Big Dome.

Miss Universe Philippines Gazini Ganados during the Bb. Pilipinas coronation night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on June 9, 2019. Photos by Miguel de Guzman, The Philippine STAR

 "I didn't actually expect that I would bag the Miss Universe Philippines crown. I was wishing to win and at the same time I was really praying for it. I'd go to Baclaran every Tuesday night, so that by 12 midnight, I would be there on a Wednesday," she says. 

A long-time model who had trained under top beaty queen maker Kagandahang Flores, Ganados went into the competition with loads of gung-ho and confidence, but when she saw the other candidates, she admitted praying: "Kahit ano na lang Lord."

She still got what she prayed for and "my life has changed so much."

‘NPA’ in the past

Gazini is no stranger to dramatic changes and life's many twists and turns. 

The Cebuana, whose unique name is a combination of her Palestinian father's name Gazan, her Christmas time birthday (Dec. 26) and the Jordan River which also means flowing water, has never met her father. She was singlehandedly raised by her mom Carmencita with the help of her grandparents Honorato Marimon Ganados and Remedios Lopes Acopiado, whom she fondly calls Lolo Udong and Nanay Utay, in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte.

Before high school, Ganados says “we transferred to Cebu, me and my mom together with my lola because that was the time when my lolo died in Dapitan and we wanted to get over it. So it was like a moving on phase."

She adds, "I've been to a lot of places, in all honesty. No permanent address siguro. That's how I'd call it. Two years ago, my lola deteriorated so my mom wanted to move to another place."

Nevertheless, Gazini was happy to represent Cebu City in the Bb. Pilipinas contest and swept almost all major awards. More importantly, she had the stage and platform to present her advocacy on elderly care. 

"Akong (my) lola, she really wanted me to be a teacher to the point na when she was getting forgetful, I'd go home, I was in college, she would say, when you grow up, you will teach kids. But I would tell myself, I don't have that talent to be patient with kids. However, I have that patience for the elderly. So, I'm really close to that (cause). If I'd be made to choose again, I will stick to elderly care."

What were her own grandparents like?

"My lola was a manghihilot. I remember as a kid, she'd ask me to walk on her back. She loved it. Now it's my mom who likes to ask me to give her a massage. I guess I got that from my lola.  My lolo was a barangay level politician in Dapitan. Before, when he ran in the barangay elections, he had these campaign papers and I would help him (hang) these papel on trees. That's what I would do as a kid,” Ganados recalls.

"My lola and lolo were loving and caring grandparents. Even when they died, they never separated. I was raised by a single mother, but I really appreciated the fact that I still had an example of two people who could love each other forever. They supported me and showed me what a real family is. Even if in reality we were incomplete, I felt I was complete," Ganados says. 

Lolo and lola’s girl

Ganados never had any inkling if her grandparents wanted or would have wanted her to become a beauty queen. "My lola would just say, gwapa ko (that I'm pretty). That's all. But I always thought she was just saying that because she was my lola." 

When she started modeling and joining beauty contests in college, she would pass on her bouquet to her lola after every competition.

"I would give her the flowers or the flower crowns that I would receive in every pageant that I joined because I never really won a crown literally (before Binibini)," Ganados says.

"The Miss Universe Philippines is my first crown. I'm usually just first runner-up, second runner-up or even backstage. It was OK. It was a learning curve for me."

When she competed in Miss Bohol in 2017, she also ended up as a runner up. What mattered more though was the opportunity to retrace her Ganados roots.

"I never lived there in Bohol. My lolo is from Bohol, that's why I joined Miss Bohol in 2017. I wanted to try it to know more about my ancestors. It was good to know that other side of me."

It is her fond memory of her childhood living with and being cared for by grandparents, that is inspiring her to champion elderly care.

"I've just noticed that there are not so many standing up for this cause. They usually lobby for other issues. For me, I just thought our elderly need someone to fight for their rights, someone to be there for them and someone to be their voice."

Ganados explains she still has to educate herself more about elderly care issues. "That's what I'm really working on. I can't just say I'm a (legitimate) advocate for elderly care just because I grew up with grandparents. Right now I'm trying to be for them, the other lolos and lolas, to know the depth (of the issue or concern) and see where I can provide my help. That's the least I could do for them. So my immediate plan is get to know them, know their issues and concerns."

She adds, "I'm very happy that there's a bill…(filed) for senior citizens, (increasing social pension) from P6,000 to P12,000 (a year or P1,000 from P500 a month)… and I'm very happy about that. The reason I'm also for this is because we're all going to get old and retire."

Her long-term plan if not her big dream is to help establish a senior citizens’ center with activities for the elderly so they won't feel useless, ignored or neglected. She imagines it as a place of fellowship and bonding among lolas and lolos with their apos, as well as a center that can help them earn some income and remain productive. 

A number of groups have already approached her and sought out her help since the pageant, but she is still swamped with media interviews and meetings. She promises to visit not one but all organizations with the same advocacy to find out where she can be of help.

"I'm hoping that I really could do something (within) my reign," she says.

What would her late grandparents think if they were alive today?

"I think they will be amused. But they will be very proud of me, I know that," Ganados declares.