A NEGRENSE beauty titlist Mrs. Mary Kimberly Cagape, also the Mrs. Philippines Asia Pacific Intercontinental 2018, will compete again internationally on March next year in Singapore.

She was among the five winners who competed for the title and will pursue another beauty pageant in Singapore.

She said it was her mother who exposed her to several talents including modeling when she was little. Those talents were honed by time.

She recalled that when she was six, her mother taught her singing, dancing, and modeling, among others. And during the first beauty pageant that she joined, she ends up as a winner. “I did not imagine that I will come this far because I am not really tall. I am only 5'4" in height. But I believe that great things come in small packages."

When she joined the said beauty competition, she did not have enough preparation because she has two jobs to attend to every day. She works from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and performs another work as a dance instructor starting at 9 p.m.

She just managed her time wisely and made sure that she could have enough sleep which is very important to her.

As to her preparation for the talent competition, she only prepared for three hours of practice and again, she ended up having the Best Talent.

Cagape was also named as Mrs. Photogenic and the Woman of Substance.

For the woman of substance, she believes that it's her personality that helped her win the competition. There are a lot of beautiful women but what makes a lady or woman different is her personality which is a major factor when joining a beauty pageant. "I was the smallest among the girls who competed for the crown. I had the talent, I can speak well and can walk well," she said.

She was overwhelmed by the warm welcome organized by the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental and also the municipality of Murcia where she was raised.

The beauty titlist was welcomed at the Bacolod-Silay airport and was motored around the City of Bacolod.

She came to pay a courtesy visit to Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and had her press conference held at the Social Hall of the Provincial Capitol building.

Cagape is a single parent to a daughter.

She provides for her daughter who is being raised by her parents in Murcia.

Single moms should be strong, mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually, she said.

Having these qualities will make you face challenges with faith and confidence, she said.

“Single moms should never think that your children are a burden,” she added.

Her advocacy is to spread awareness about teenage pregnancy. (CNC)