R’Bonney Gabriel tries motorcycle service to beat Manila traffic | Image: Instagram/@rbonneynola
Miss Universe 2022 R’Bonney Gabriel is truly taking her Filipino experience to the next level as she hops on a motorcycle service to beat the Manila traffic despite the threats of rain and the way the locals navigate the road.
The Filipina-American took to Instagram to share a video of her looking anxious while riding pillion on a motorcycle that seemed to be rushing to beat the rain.
“When you refuse to spend 2.5 hours in the car with traffic, but now you have to worry about an upcoming 4-way intersection with no light, everyone ignoring the lane markings, and making it home before it rains,” reads the written text in her video.
“And do the honks mean ‘Hello’ or ‘Move out of the way’??? #angkas #manilaphilippines #diaryofaFilAm,” she added to her Instagram caption.
In a separate video, Gabriel is seen soaking wet on a motorcycle ride, writing in the caption, “When you wanted the full bike ride experience but didn’t know that included an outdoor shower. It was this or sitting in the car for 3 hours.”
Gabriel’s wet experience didn’t seem to dampen her spirits as she could be seen in the video having fun as she soaked up the rain.
In the comments section, Filipinos were amused by the beauty queen’s adventurous antics, especially since they could relate to her given the locals’ routine of booking ride-hailing motorcycles to beat the metro traffic.
“The way you exhibit our daily lives. So humble and relatable,” said one netizen.
“R’Bonney is really impressive with her courage and adventurous spirit. For an international beauty queen to ride Angkas, it shows her openness to new experiences and her appreciation for the local culture. It’s heartwarming to see these moments because it makes her even closer to Filipinos,” wrote another IG user.
Image: Instagram/@rbonneynola
Image: Instagram/@rbonneynola
Since her arrival in the Philippines last April, Gabriel has been exploring her Filipino heritage, from eating Pinoy street food to practicing her “tawad” game in Divisoria, riding a jeepney, and learning to cook sinigang, among others.
Her Filipino roots came from her father, Remigio Bonzon “R. Bon” Gabriel, who hails from the city of Manila, before migrating to the US state of Washington where her met her mother, Dana Walker.