Hearing-impaired MUPH 2024 bet brings message of hope, inspiration

Miss Universe Philippines-Hawaii Patricia Bianca Tapia was born with a hearing impairment./ARMIN P. ADINA

Patricia Bianca “Ica” Tapia was born with a hearing impairment, and she hopes that her participation in the 2024 Miss Universe Philippines pageant will inspire other women born with disabilities to look beyond the limitations imposed by society.

“I was a ‘preemie’ (premature) baby. I came out two and a half months early. And it was something that I really struggled with because I learned Tagalog when I was a child. And when I moved to the United States, it was really difficult for me to pick up English,” she told INQUIRER.net at the sidelines of the MUPH pageant’s signing event with a lead sponsor last month.

The delegate from the Filipino community in Hawaii shared that she still struggles with hearing people, like when she is sitting in the backseat of a car, or when she is watching a movie inside a theater.

“But you know, bear with me, and I’m here to stand up for those who have disabilities. Because I think we’re much more than that,” Tapia said.

“I think we should stand above our disability, the stigmas that we think define us, because it doesn’t. And at the end of the day, it’s our mind that we need to control, because we live our life spending much of our time thinking,” continued the model and healthcare consultant.

“And when we think past our disabilities, we’re much stronger. Because what doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger. And so let’s just live this one life that we have, and really make the best of it. And shoot for our goals, shoot for the stars, and continue to inspire everyone around us. You can do it,” Tapia added.

The American-Filipino aspirant is one of the 52 delegates competing to become Michelle Marquez Dee’s Miss Universe Philippines successor. The winner will be crowned at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on May 22.

The new queen will represent the Philippines in the 73rd Miss Universe pageant in Mexico later this year, and will try to become the fifth Filipino woman to win the crown, after Gloria Diaz (1969), Margie Moran (1973), Pia Wurtzbach (2015), and Catriona Gray (2018).