Bb. Pilipinas runners-up Atasha Reign Parani (left) and Katrina Anne Johnson enjoy some ‘me-time’ at the Fiesta Carnival./ARMIN P. ADINA
Better public healthcare and the welfare of Filipino workers are the primary concerns that a couple of Filipino beauty queens want to see addressed in the country this year, citing their background that exposed them to the realities of today’s society.
“As a medical professional, healthcare is one of the things that, honestly, I hate to say the word, disappoints me, but we could do so much better. And I really do think that the citizens of this country at least deserve that,” Binibining Pilipinas first runner-up Katrina Anne Johnson told INQUIRER.net in an interview at the grand reopening of the Fiesta Carnival at its original site at the Araneta City in Quezon City last month.
For her part, Bb. Pilipinas second runner-up Atasha Reign Parani said, “more opportunities, sa mga tsuper, ang mga magsasaka natin (to public utility drivers, our farmers), and of course the seamen of our country as well. It’s definitely one of the things that I learned. It’s my first year in college.”
Johnson said it appears that healthcare in the Philippines is seen as a privilege. “It’s something that only the wealthy can go for. And I really wish that people would look at it as a human right, a fundamental right that we have, and not just a luxury that you can only have if you can afford it,” she explained.
The 25-year-old licensed pharmacist from Davao del Sur said she is hoping to see improvements that will make healthcare more accessible to more people, especially those in the fringes of society.
Parani’s pursuit for a degree in broadcasting, she said, equipped her with “all the information that is needed to be shared and to serve for all the Filipinos.” And this exposure prompted her to aspire for a society where there are “more chances for everyone to voice out what is needed, and where we should be more focused on when it comes to everyday life.”
She continued: “I really was part of the people who were affected by the transport strike, and everything else following that, and I noticed that by the end of 2023, I know that it will be left behind.”
On another note, Johnson said she is hoping that people will be “a little bit nicer” to one another this year. “I’ve seen a lot of really harsh comments and posts. We have those keyboard warriors out there that, you know, sometimes they can say things a bit too harshly, or they should keep certain things to themselves.”
She also pleaded for more digital consciousness, and to be mindful of others before posting anything online. “Everyone has feelings regardless, they can see you or not, so you never know how your message can convey to someone, how is that conveyed? How was that interpreted?” Johnson added.
Parani, meanwhile, reminded people to be consistent in their resolutions for the new year, citing her personal experience. “I think that’s where I lacked the most, being consistent in everything that I do. And though we all hope for new opportunities, new blessings to come, it’s really in you. Just start those new routines. It’s really the routines the every day,” she said.