Celeste Cortesi wants to amplify voices of children through Miss Universe stage

Metro Manila, December 24 ------ Filipino-Italian beauty queen Celeste Cortesi wants to use the Miss Universe stage to raise the voice of children who are at the center of her advocacy.

“I’ve been working very closely with Save the Children Philippines which is an organization that focuses on eradicating hunger and malnutrition amongst children. I’ve been going to many remote places here in the Philippines,” the Miss Universe Philippines 2022 told reporters. “That is really the highlight of my advocacy because when you get to know the families, when you get to know the children and hear their stories, it touches your heart and that is something that I really wanted to bring in the Miss Universe stage, to amplify those voices of these children,” she added.

Cortesi will be competing for the Miss Universe crown on Jan. 14, 2023. The coronation night will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. She was named as the country’s representative last April. “Since I was crowned, I really set my mind into really wanting to bring home the crown. So, I really started my preparation since day 1,” she said. The beauty queen also said preparing is more than just focusing on her pageant walk and gearing up for the question-and-answer portion.

Cortesi, who was born to a Filipino mother and Italian father, grew up in Italy. It was only in 2018 when she moved to the Philippines to pursue her career in pageants, representing the country on the Miss Earth stage. She said she waited for four years before joining Miss Universe Philippines because she wanted to adapt first and learn to speak English. “Your preparation has to come within yourself, the way you grow, the way you learn about things. It has been years of preparations,” she noted.

With the coronation nearing, Cortesi said she and her team are just polishing things up. “I had seven months to prepare, so I can say I’m ready right now,” she said. If Cortesi wins, she will be the country’s fifth Miss Universe after Catriona Gray in 2018.

Source: cnnphilippines.com