Miss International can help meet 2030 SDG deadline - Myrna Esguerra

October 31 ------ For several editions already, the Miss International pageant has been highlighting the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations (UN), and the delegates are working on projects that aim to achieve them.

Adopted in 2015, the SDGs serve as an urgent call to action for all countries to help attain peace and prosperity for the people. These goals are to be met by 2030, just five more years to go. “With all the ladies from different parts of the world, I think that’s a really strong point for the Miss International in fighting for all these causes,” Binibining Pilipinas Myrna Esguerra told Inquirer Entertainment in an interview.

The Philippines’ representative to the 2025 Miss International pageant faced the media at her send-off press conference at World Kitchens at the Gateway Mall 2 at the Araneta City in Quezon City on Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 28. “I think Miss International has been helping achieve those goals, since they are really focused on all the 17 SDGs, and to advocate for that as a whole pageant,” Esguerra said. “The fact that the ladies are from different parts of the world, I think that’s a way for them to really fight all the challenges that we are experiencing. And in a way, the 17 SDGs are the solutions to those problems,” she continued.

Esguerra will be joining about 80 delegates from different countries and territories around the world in Japan next month for the 63rd Miss International pageant, also the 65th anniversary edition of the Tokyo-based global tilt. “And 2030 is the deadline, and that is when things will be irreversible. So if our goals are not met by then, it’s really important for us to keep in mind that we should not stop from doing our own initiatives,” she shared. “Change will happen if we are consistent. And we should push for all the causes that we’re fighting for, even after we reach the deadline, which is 2030,” Esguerra said.

Although all the 17 SDGs are important for her, the Filipina beauty said the one closest to her heart is goal number 4, quality education. Among the youngest in a brood of 17 siblings, Esguerra was the only one to graduate from a four-year college course. She was able to sustain her studies by working part-time and joining pageants. “I know how it feels to be unheard and scared. But I also know the power of humility, of gratitude, and of a dream. I come from a place where hardships are real. I taught myself how to be strong, how to stand when life knocks you down, and how to dream,” Esguerra said.

“I think Miss International is someone who can connect with people not just through her words, but through her experiences. And I’m here to empower women, to bridge cultures from one nation to another, and to inspire peace through compassion and respect,” she continued.

Source: inquirer.net