Chef Jessie Sincioco (left) and Miss Universe Philippines Cainta Stacey Gabriel. Image: Armin P. Adina/INQUIRER.net
Stacey Gabriel was only 14 years old when she found herself in prison; that is, to join her grandmother Gretrudes, “Daisy” to many, in sharing the Scriptures with senior persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) who have not been getting any visits from their loved ones.
And almost a decade after the Gabriel matriarch’s passing, the family continues the project they have renamed “Daisy Legacy Ministry,” with the beauty contestant heading it. The initiative that was started in 2011 at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City has now grown to touch the lives of over 700 PDLs and even got the support of famed Filipino restaurateur Chef Jessie Sincioco.
“She is a titan in her industry. She is an absolute powerhouse. So, to have her blessing, to have her green light and her support is so surreal,” the delegate from Cainta, Rizal, said in a small gathering at the chef’s restaurant at the Rockwell Club in Makati City on Holy Monday, Mach 25.
“You know she’s a transformative leader, a transformative woman in her own right. So, it feels serendipitous. If I’m being honest. And I’m just so grateful to have her support,” continued Gabriel, who also said she hopes it will set a precedent for other companies to provide more assistance to any project involving PDLs.
“The core realization is that no one is beyond redemption in God’s eyes. We don’t know what brings people to a life of criminality, we don’t know the circumstances through which they were led to those actions, and I don’t believe they should be an outcast forever,” she shared.
Stacey Gabriel (right) intently listens to the story of ‘Lola’ Precy Viri, a former PDL who was helped by the “Daisy Legacy Ministry.” Image: Armin P. Adina/INQUIRER.net
Gabriel said her grandmother taught her “to love those who are deemed unlovable, reach out to those who are marginalized, who are seen as outcasts in society.” She said her family has pushed through with the ministry work “because we want to bring God’s redemptive love to prisoners. We hope to be the light in the darkness of prisons.”
She shared how she witnessed for herself the transformative effects of the ministry on the senior PDLs. “I step into this institution, and they are lifting their hands in worship to the Lord. And it is the most inspiring and most heartening thing to see. If they can praise, then so can I. I learned so much from them every day, and that is the very lesson that I hope to bring to the Universe,” Gabriel said.
She has also shared her ministry work through her “Her Story” video for the 2024 Miss Universe Philippines pageant, where she was seen spending time with PDLs at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City and joined by other members of her family.
“You know, if the officers of our organization would like to join one of our outreaches, they’re more than welcome to. Just the platform in and of itself is so powerful already. So without them knowing, perhaps they’re already helping,” Gabriel said.
“This platform is an absolute gift. So, I would like to maximize it to bring more hearts to this cause and, hopefully, bring more resources to our ‘lolas,’ bring more ‘ayudas’ to our ‘lolas.’ Because at the end of the day, it is about their well-being. And that is the cause I’m fighting for,” she continued.
Sincioco, meanwhile, expressed her gratitude to the Gabriel family for allowing her to extend her assistance to the senior PDLs and pledged to provide meals for them in a feeding mission in the coming weeks.
Gabriel is one of the 53 delegates competing in the 2024 Miss Universe Philippines pageant aiming to succeed Michelle Marquez Dee. The eventual winner will represent the country in the 73rd Miss Universe pageant in Mexico later this year.