Pia Wurtzbach meets with First Lady Liza Marcos for HIV awareness cause
Pia Wurtzbach had the chance to meet with First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos to discuss her plans to raise awareness on HIV and AIDS.
As seen from pictures on Marcos' Instagram account, the two ladies shared a hearty dinner together with other members of their team. They held a meeting over Wurtzbach's exclusive auction dubbed "Love Gala, Eternal Elegance: A Night of Timeless Love."
"I stand with LoveYourself and Ms. Pia Wurtzbach in their mission to raise awareness and provide support for people with HIV/AIDS," the First Lady wrote in her post.
"Thank you for creating safe, compassionate spaces and offering life-changing resources to empower those who need it most," she added.
The Miss Universe 2015 titleholder later reposted the pictures on her Instagram stories, where she expressed her gratitude to Marcos for lending them her support.
"The work we're doing at LoveYourself is making a real difference, and we were excited to share our achievements and future plans with the First Lady. We also discussed ways to strengthen our efforts and collaboration with the government, as we believe the fight against HIV-AIDS is a national priority," Pia highlighted.
"Grateful for the time and attention she gave us, and for the opportunity to continue working towards a healthier future. Maraming salamat po, First Lady Liza Marcos," she added.
Wurtzbach is set to hold her auction on Dec. 3 at Marquis Events Place in BGC, Taguig. Among the items to be put up for sale is her silver dress that she wore when she was announced as a Top 15 finalist, her sashes that date all the way back to when she was still a candidate at Binibining Pilipinas up until Miss Universe, as well as her notebooks containing all her thoughts and notes.
According to the beauty queen, all proceeds will go towards building a center that will create a safe space for young people to access education, prevention, and treatment related to HIV.
Wurtzbach previously teased her upcoming auction in a March interview with PhilSTAR L!fe as she talked about her hopes of being remembered for more than just her crown.
"What I really want is to leave a lasting impression on people not just as a Miss Universe winner, but also with the work that I've done after Miss Universe. I'm still very much active in my advocacies," she said.
"[The youth center] will be my goal for next year since it's going to be my 10th year anniversary. It's great that we get to do something like this," she added.
Wurtzbach won Binibining Pilipinas in 2015 on her third attempt. She then represented the Philippines and won Miss Universe 2015, becoming the first Filipina to take home the highly coveted Miss Universe crown in four decades.
LoveYourself is a community of volunteers providing free HIV testing, counseling, treatment, and life coaching in the Philippines.