“My hometown, Alitagtag may be considered a fourth class municipality, you may even call it a small town, but it is known as the karosa (festival floats) capital of the Philippines. Our historical church and Salubong Festival has always been a tourist attraction,” Rachael Dianne Calalo, Alitagtag town’s bet for the Mutya ng Batangan said of her town.
Just passed the recent nursing board exam, Rachael Dianne had to temporarily stop her training at the Bauan Doctor’s Hospital to concentrate on the pageant that she wanted to join for so long.
“I want to experience this pageant and prove to myself and to all the people I love that I can represent my hometown and make them proud,” Rachael Dianne said.
At 21, and 5”7 ½” tall, she is considered one of the tallest candidates in the pageant.
Thankful for her family’s support, she’s also grateful for the municipal government’s support and the mayor who advises her on how to deal with many people on and off the pageant.
But dealing with different types of people is already effortless with Rachael Dianne as she has been a people person since her childhood days.
And this “people person” has always been ready to help her family and friends, share her talents, and advise them. With 5002 friends in facebook and 230 pending requests she couldn’t accommodate anymore since her account was full.
Not new to pageants, Rachael Dianne has already joined the Mr. and Ms. Nursing at the Lyceum of the Philippines University in December 2008.
In May 2008 she got the Darling of the Crowd and Best in Long Gown awars at the search for King and Queen of their village in Alitagtag.
“I’ve been reading Bo Sanchez and I like what he said about our power to create love even in the smallest things we can do as a person for other people,” Rachael Dianne said.
A voracious reader, Rachael Dianne has learned the value of reading at a very young age when her uncle from Australia sent her three to five books as birthday gifts.
Though they were mostly children’s books when she was young, she was able to collect more as she grew, and appreciate the wisdom from every pages she read. The hardbound books, she said she still keeps up to now.
“Now, I read the Harry Potter series, Twilight, Tuesdays with Morrie, and Bo Sanchez’s books,” Rachael Dianne said,” I learn so much from them.”
One book that made a very positive impact on her life was Tuesdays with Morrie.
“That’s where I realized the value of life, and why we should treasure every moment of our lives,” Rachael Dianne added.
Among the best valued people in her life, she said, was her family and her aunt who supported her nursing studies.
Though her first choice was to study tourism Rachael Dianne knew that her aunt and her parents were right when they asked her to take the nursing course.
“My aunt never said this in my face, by my mother already told me that I am my auntie’s favorite niece. But that didn’t get to my head. Instead, I that became my inspiration, something that drove me to study harder and prove to the world that my aunt was right to help me,” she said
As a registered nurse, Rachael Dianne also dreams of being a doctor and plans to save money to study medicine.
“If I could have a chance to do that and at the help my family’s finances, why not?” she added.
Rachael Dianne recalls her chances during her student days to work part time as a model and was even invited for pictorials but she declined because her first priority at that time was her college diploma. She has also joined the Hair Asia twice, and made sure it didn’t distract her studies.
“Before I make important decisions, I ask my parents and aunt’s opinion first. The decision of those important people in my life is very crucial to everything that I do. So far, their decisions have guided me and have proven to be so right. I’m so grateful for their support,” she said.
Joining the Mutya ng Batangan, Rachael Dianne is determined to do her best.
“I have a lot of dreams and I always keep my options open for all possibilities I can create to achieve my dream. And whatever I decide to do, I stand firm and do everything I can to get it. I know God is always beside me,” she added,”This is the pageant that makes me proud to be here and put my foot forward for my town and the people I love.”
No comments:
Post a Comment