R'bonney Gabriel, Pia Wurtzbach, and other Pinay beauty queens who embrace their body 'flaws'
Reigning Miss Universe R'bonney Gabriel took to social media to share a new body-positive post while flaunting her cellulites.
In a post shared on May 18, R'bonney is seen sitting with her legs crossed, wearing a black feathered mini dress.
"Hello Universe, Hello cellulite[.] Here’s to no photoshop and embracing the skin I’m in," she captioned her post.
Many of her followers, including Miss Universe Colombia and American news anchor Sharron Melton expressed their support in the comment section.
"Thank you @rbonneynola for uplifting body positivity! Embracing every part of the skin we’re in should always be celebrated!" exclaimed Sharron.
"W/ this post, you fulfill the role of the modern Miss Universe: empowering women," wrote one user.
"As real as it can be! Perfect initiative for Women empowerment," said another.
"Love this honesty, which we all need to embrace[.] way to show what real woman look like," wrote another one.
Like R'bonney, there are other Filipina beauty queens who have embraced their "flaws"—"cellulites, jiggles, and all," as Pia Wurtzbach once said—on social media. Check them out below.
Pia Wurtzbach-Jauncey
In 2021, Pia flaunted her stretch marks and cellulites on Instagram, while writing an empowering message to inspire her followers.
"We’re more than a number on a scale, a filter on Instagram, or the opinion of other people. Was a bit hesitant to post this pic cause I’ve been called so many names over the years, but you know what, this body has carried me through life, and I will honor it — cellulites, jiggles and all," she said.
Ayn Bernos
That same year, TikToker and former Miss San Juan Ayn Bernos—who received a barrage of hate comments during the competition—took to Twitter to encourage others who are feeling insecure about their bodies.
"We really need to stop calling our features 'flaws.' When I embrace my thick thighs, my round face, my arms; my skin color, I am not embracing 'flaws.' I am embracing things that are natural to me. They’re not wrong at all. They’re not problems," she wrote.
"So when people call me Eugene Domingo for our similar face shape, or Hidilyn Diaz for my arms, I do not take them as insults. What I share with them are not flaws. They are features of strong, beautiful Filipina women, and I will never apologize for existing this way," she said.
Katarina Rodriguez
Miss World Philippines 2018 Katarina Rodriguez shared a photo of herself flaunting her baby bump as a lot of people had been asking why she doesn't have stretch marks. Debunking the myth, she said that they "showed up towards the later part of my pregnancy."
Admittedly, her stretch marks bothered her that she religiously slathered her body with oils and creams. She later learned that they "are genetic and there's not much you can do to prevent them from appearing if its genetic," and so she just learned how to embrace her tiger marks.
Pauline Amelinckx
Almost a week after she was crowned Miss Supranational Philippines 2023, Pauline Amelinckx posted a photo of herself from the Miss Universe Philippines 2023 swimsuit competition and shared that she has "learned to love her body more."
"Just passing by with a sweet reminder and realization that self-love is not an end-goal but a life long journey with its own ups and downs, and everchanging perspectives about ourselves."
As a reminder, she told her followers to remind themselves "that we are WORTH it."
"[S]ending hugs!" she said.