Pia Wurtzbach and Iza Calzado: Definitely worth it

L’OREAL Philippines has launched a new campaign putting a spin on their decades-old tagline “Because I’m Worth It,” coupling it with the Filipino phrase “sayang ka” (“you are a waste”). With the harmful connotations of such a loaded two-word phrase, former Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach and actress Iza Calzado opened up about their own struggles with making it and feeling their own worth during an event in Intramuros, Manila on March 25.

The two celebrities were joined in the campaign by magazine beauty editor Belle Rodolfo, and her partner, Deng Garcia, both onstage and in a video commercial.

“As a young child, it breaks your heart,” said Ms. Calzado about being told that she was sayang (a waste). Ms. Calzado has been open about her struggles with previously being overweight, being diagnosed with childhood depression, her own mother’s mental health struggles and suicide, and everything else that comes with being a female celebrity. “You really felt like the words are so true. It takes away any belief you may have from yourself.

“I’m a work in progress. The words are deeply ingrained,” she said in a speech. “All these years, it just makes me want to prove na hindi ako sayang (I am not a waste).”

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?Ms. Wurtzbach, meanwhile, said that her chief fear was that winning Miss Universe would be the peak of her career, especially after all the years she spent working towards that goal.

She recalled joining, and losing, the Bb. Pilipinas pageant twice before winning the third time she joined, to qualify for the global pageant, then winning it.

“After I won Miss Universe, I got the recognition, I got the work. It was a big celebration in the Philippines, but there’s always that question of what’s next,” she said.

This was a concern for her, as she was frequently told that a beauty queen’s “shelf life” had a maximum of three years. She added the struggle of making it in showbiz in the first place: she was often told that she was too tall, and that her accent was noticeably provincial.

“After I won Miss Universe, I thought that it would be the bandage (for) all of my childhood trauma, and all of the rejection. But it didn’t (help). It amplified it. I thought, ‘Oh my God… I found my purpose. I won Miss Universe, and this is it.’ But every day, I felt that I had to keep proving why I deserved to be there, especially because of how I was announced as a winner.” If it could be recalled, back in 2015, host Steve Harvey had named Miss Colombia as the winner, before appearing again onstage to fix his mistake, announcing Ms. Wurtzbach as the winner instead.

“It’s been nine years now, and what I’ve learned is that my worth isn’t measured by a crown, or a title, or the number of likes I get on each post… these things are fleeting,” she said. “I have decided that my worth is based on the lasting impact that I can hopefully continue to share with people who still look at my journey.”

BEAUTY AND PRIVILEGEBackstage, the ladies told a few gathered media guests about the products they were using — but also about the trap of beauty and privilege.

Ms. Calzado uses the Infallible foundation, the lipsticks (which she uses for her eyes and cheeks as well), the mascara, and a day cream from L’Oreal. Ms. Wurtzbach said that she uses L’Oreal’s Revitalift Eye Serum, as well as their other serums and cleansers.

Speaking during the last days of International Women’s Month in March, Ms. Calzado and Ms. Wurtzbach, both blessed with beauty, discussed the dark power of how it grants privilege, and how they are affected by it.

Ms. Calzado remembered telling her stylist once how nice people were. Her stylist shot back, “That’s easy for you to say, because you’re Iza Calzado. People are nice to you.”

“But ako kasi (for me), I’d like to believe that the heart of every human is good,” she said. “To this day, medyo hirap akong tanggapin iyon (I have a hard time accepting that). But maybe it’s true. Maybe people are nicer to me because of that, because they see me on stage, or in films.

“But there are a lot of privileges. Being successful, you have more money. You have ‘more power,’” she said, gesturing air quotes. “Because of that, there’s more responsibility. May kapalit rin siya (it has a price). I have to use it beyond myself, what serves me. That’s why I use it: the stories, the struggles, the privilege, and the power to further empower those who may need it.”

Speaking of her own beauty and the privilege it grants, Ms. Wurtzbach said, “I’m not going to deny that.

“I am aware of my privileges. I am aware that the reason why people listen to me, and why I have a following is because of my achievements, and it’s because of Miss Universe, but the challenge is also there,” she said. She said she didn’t want people to listen to her speak just because she was Miss Universe, which she won for her beauty. “That’s what I’m trying to break. I don’t want to be stuck in a stereotype.

“I think that’s a challenge for most beauty queens — to prove that there is really so much more beyond what you see.”

MEMORABILIA AUCTIONOn that note, Ms. Wurtzbach said that later this year, she will auction off her Miss Universe memorabilia, in order to help build a youth center next year, the 10th anniversary of her Miss Universe win. To be auctioned off are the opening dress, shoes, earrings, gowns, notebooks, sashes, and even her tiara. So far, she has collected 30 items from her own home, and will see if she has more Miss Universe-related memorabilia in storage.

“I’m planning to auction these off on World AIDS Day, on Dec. 1,” she said. “I’ll be super-transparent with how much we collect, and where it’s going to go. We’re going to build a youth center in Metro Manila.”

The youth center, built in partnership with Love Yourself, Inc., will be meant to be a test-and-treatment center for HIV-AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections and will also serve as a women’s health center. It will be a place where “people can feel safe; people can feel like they’re welcome,” she said.

“I want to leave something behind that is truly lasting; that will sustain itself. Even if I’m not physically there, I’ve helped build a youth center that is going to help others.” — Joseph L. Garcia