Pinay beauty queen to highlight OFW concerns at Miss Supranational 2018

Binibining Pilipinas-Supranational 2018 Jehza Huelar is hoping to be the second Filipina to bring home the Miss Supranational crown after Mutya Datul won the title in 2013.

She revealed that she will enter the competition representing not only her beloved country, but also the overseas Filipino workers all over the world.

During her send-off event, Huelar said that her advocacy is all about giving equal opportunities to OFWs, especially seafarers, with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), reported PhilStar.

A total of 451 OFWs were newly diagnosed with HIV during the first half of 2018, which is 14.4% higher compared to the same time period last year. It was also noted that OFWs now make up 10% of the cases in the National HIV and AIDS Registry which were recorded from January 1984 to June 2018.

Because of the growing number, Huelar wants to make sure that seafarers will still be given career opportunities despite being HIV positive.

“We’re working on giving equal opportunity and equal chances sa mga seafarers natin na naging positibo sa HIV na still they can get a job because they have no options. ‘Yun lang ang work na pwede nilang pasukan,” she said.

Huelar said that the cause is close to her heart since her father was also worked as a seafarer before he succumbed to cancer in 2015.

She said that she started joining beauty pageants to fulfill her last wish. However, her first attempts were not successful but she was able to win a Binibining Pilipinas crown on her third try.

The Associated Marine Officers and Seamen’s Union even held a party after she won.

As of press time, Huelar has already flown to Poland for the said international pageant. However, her trip to Poland had a rough start as her luggage was left behind in London by the airline before they flew to Warsaw.

She said in an Instagram post that she only had a sweatshirt, a pair of pants, underwear, makeup, and other documents. All of the outfit she has prepared for the pre-pageant events were all in her luggage.

Huelar then said that some of her fellow candidates were gracious enough to let her borrow some of their clothes.

She has since updated her post and said that she already got her lost baggage.

The Miss Supranational pageant will happen on December 7 in Poland.

 

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To set everything straight… yes, my 6 luggage were mistakenly left by an airline in London. (I took 3 flights from PH: PH to London, London to Warsaw, Warsaw to Krakow for almost 2 days). What I only got in my hand bag is a sweater, pants, 1 pair of undies, a jacket, my make up kit and all my documents including passport, etc. BUT NOW ALMOST ALL MY LUGGAGE ARE HERE WITH ME (still missing one more). In my first 2 days in Poland, I humbly asked the girls of @misssupranational to lend me some clothes I can wear in our activities. Thankfully, everybody was so helpful I got to borrow clothes from them… mentioning @minhtu_nguyen she lent me her gown during our official sashing ceremony last night. To @andre.sleigh , Dorota, Kasia of @misssupranational organizers, big thank you for all your effort in getting my luggage all the way from London… Nonetheless, I stayed positive and determined amidst difficulty and doubt… I learned that we should not worry much for God will not leave us with an empty hand ? @wil_leohn texted me this before I left Philippines… now I’m sharing it to the #SupraNation “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12 NIV #MissSupranational #MissSupranational2018 #SupraShow #SupraJourneyToTheCrown Update: I got my missing luggage! ? (5:27pm, Poland Time)

A post shared by JEHZA HUELAR (@jehzahuelar) on Nov 21, 2018 at 2:11am PST