Miss Universe 2022 R’Bonney Gabriel shared on what she plans to do next after winning the Miss Universe crown.
“First thing I would like to do is sleep more than four hours, and then eat some ensaymada – that’s my favorite Filipino treat – and I would love to give my family and friends a hug, and just thank them so much for getting me here,” Gabriel said.
The Filipino-American beauty made the statement after the pageant.
Orleans, United States.
“Filipinos love pageantry. To be half-Filipino, I feel like that helped me feel the energy in the crowd. The support is everything. I feel blessed. As the first Filipino-American Miss Universe, I can now be a voice, a larger voice for other girls and just show them that you need to embrace who you are. It’s so important. Embrace what makes you different,” Gabriel said in a post pageant briefing.
Gabriel believes that her win could help the plight of Filipino-American communities in the U.S.
“I think this will make Filipinos even more proud to be a Filipino. Whenever you see someone similar to you, whether that’s a culture or somebody that is in the same sports as you or has the same interest as you, you get excited and you want to embrace more of who you are. So, I am so excited for Filipinos to be shown in that light and continue to celebrate that,” she explained.
The new Miss Universe said that winning the crown is the ‘best feeling’ in the world.
“The journey was not easy. I won Miss USA in October. I had three months to prepare. It was very challenging. There were ups and downs and times where I doubted myself but I always felt like I have a purpose,” she said.
