Eva Patalinjug. Image from Instagram
MANILA, Philippines — Eva Patalinjug’s life has been eventful since relinquishing her title as Binibining Pilipinas Grand International in 2019. She studied law, handled her own national pageant, became a mother, and soon, will wed her partner Francis Lim. Just recently, she passed the Bar examinations, making her a full-fledged lawyer, one of the several beauty queens who did so.
But how does the Cebuana beauty juggle everything on her plate? “I compartmentalize what I do. It’s really time management. Even if I don’t have time, I make time,” she told the Inquirer at the sidelines of the press conference for this year’s edition of the Hiyas ng Pilipinas pageant held recently at Luxent Hotel in Quezon City. She is the national director of the national competition.
“I see to it that I have time for my baby after work. I take care of him, I do chores in the house still. And as a lawyer, I squeeze in everything that I need to do. Now, I just came from the airport straight to [have my] make up [done],” she continued.
Patalinjug also has her faith to rely on for the challenges she might be facing in her multiple roles. She was in church when the results of the Bar examinations came out, she said. “It was the perfect timing. I was at the church of St. Rita, the saint of the impossible. So I celebrated by praying there,” she shared.
Two more titleholders passed the recent Bar, reigning Reina Internacional del Chocolate Jerelleen Rodriguez and 2020 Miss Philippines Air Patrixia Santos. Other prominent beauty queens have also become lawyers before them, 2001 Bb. Pilipinas Universe Zorayda Ruth Andam and 2019 Bb. Pilipinas International Bea Patricia Magtanong.
“We are capable of being more than a beauty queen as well. We are also smart. We are also capable of empowering girls as well. By looking at us becoming lawyers, they want to be beauty queens and lawyers as well,” Patalinjug said.
And now she continues to empower young women by providing them the platform of her Hiyas ng Pilipinas pageant for meaningful causes. And for its second year, Patalinjug has found a new partner to help her assemble the best team she could possibly ask for, the pageant’s new owner and CEO Mike Sordilla, who is also based in Cebu.
As the new team’s initial move, the governing entity’s name was officially changed to “Hiyas ng Pilipinas Foundation Inc.” from “Hiyas ng Turismo Pilipinas Foundation Inc.” Sordilla also said there will be “Hiyas ng Pilipinas scholars” who will emerge from a “bigger and bolder Hiyas ng Pilipinas.”
The organization will go around the country to search for ladies who will compete for three titles—Hiyas ng Pilipinas-Tourism World, Hiyas ng Pilipinas Omninational, and Hiyas ng Pilipinas-Summit International—on Nov. 11 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.
The screening for Luzon will be held in Metro Manila on July 16, while applicants in the Visayas may attend the screening in Cebu on July 23. For Mindanao, the screening will be held in General Santos City on July 30.
The Hiyas ng Pilipinas organization has also recently announced that one of its 2022 winners, GMA Sparkle artist AZ Martinez, will represent the Philippines in the 2023 Miss Summit International pageant in the United States in September. EDV