Newly-crowned Mutya ng Pilipinas-Charity and reigning Miss Manila Charity Xena Ramos. Image: Armin P. Adina/INQUIRER.net
Actress Xena Ramos who portrays the role of lawyer Bridge in the “Kapatid” series “Lumuhod Ka sa Lupa” on TV5 had a fruitful pageant run in both city and national competitions, and she was proclaimed charity queen in the two contests that she joined just a few months apart.
The former Binibining Pilipinas candidate was proclaimed as Miss Manila Charity at the 2024 Miss Manila: Woman of Worth competition held in June, and was also crowned as 2024 Mutya ng Pilipinas-Charity at the 56th-anniversary staging of the Mutya ng Pilipinas pageant earlier this month.
The crown she received from the second longest-running national pageant in the country was just added this year, to mark the Mutya ng Pilipinas pageant’s partnership with the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
“It was very fulfilling. Of course, charity in itself is something to help other people, that is its core. And why would I be hesitant to accept such a crown like that, something that has so much purpose? And I’m very, very glad and very happy to be receiving two crowns, back-to-back,” Ramos told INQUIRER.net at the sidelines of the opening of The Grand Hausse in Quezon City earlier this month.
She said being proclaimed as the charity queen in both of the competitions she joined recently resonated with her “charitable heart.” Ramos found her new crowns as effective platforms to make it easier for her to help Filipinos, whether in the city of Manila or all over the country.
But Ramos shared that she did not plan on joining back-to-back pageants. “There was a friend who invited me to join Mutya, and I saw it as an opportunity to represent Manila right away because I was in the zone already. The momentum was there, it was all a plus for me. There are people that are willing to help, so I decided to go for it. And luckily, we received the charity crown, and I’m so happy about that, most especially my family,” she said.
Newly-crowned Mutya ng Pilipinas-Charity and reigning Miss Manila Charity Xena Ramos. Image: Armin P. Adina/INQUIRER.net
She also shared that what boosted her spirit were the fashion choices that she made in both her pageants. “With luxury brands and luxury items, I don’t necessarily own much, but it really gives me that confidence and that extra ‘oomph factor’ whenever I wear it or I carry it with me, because, of course, the quality in itself, the fabric, it’s not really common,” Ramos said.
“However, having to wear other types of clothing as well gives me the same type of confidence. It’s really, about how you dress yourself, or how you put pieces together. And that’s quite fascinating to be invited in The Grand Hausse opening to get to see face-to-face or up close, the different materials that are used, and the artistry that comes with the creator of The Grand Hausse,” she added.
Her TV5 drama series “Lumuhod Ka sa Lupa” is still currently running, but she has not been appearing in it lately, partly because of her recent pageant journey. “I think the ongoing scenes right now are outdoors, and Atty. Bridge is located only in the law firm. So I’m asking Direk if he could include me,” Ramos shared.
“I’m so looking forward to other series in the future. I think there’s something that is in the works. I’m still waiting. But I wouldn’t announce it yet if it’s not yet sure. So, yeah, I hope you can watch out for more of that,” she continued.