Miss Universe Philippines 2019 Gazini Ganados said Thursday it is time for Filipinos to "be the change [they] want to be", speaking up a year ahead of the 2022 elections at the launch of opposition coalition 1Sambayan.
The beauty queen admitted to becoming detached from political affairs in the past but says she has now been "awakened by the truth".
"Dati wala naman akong pake pero I personally have been awakened by the truth. I’m tired of seeing helpless and hopeless collective aspiration..[I'm standing here] not because I am a beauty queen but because I am a daughter, a citizen," Ganados said, speaking of the country's state during the pandemic.
“We can empower ourselves to be the change that we want to be and that power is within our fingertips... Aren’t you tired of the system that devastates more than the uplifting that it promised us?”, she said.
Ganados was the celebrity representative at the launch of 1Sambayan, the coalition formed by former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, that seeks to unify opposition forces.
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They aim to come up with only one solid slate for next year, promising to present Filipinos with a "clear choice" against the camp of the current administration.
At the launch, its convenors repeatedly emphasized youth participation as crucial in changing the course of Philippine governance in the next general elections.
"We want a generation that doesn’t have to leave the country for a better life because sensible, compassionate leaders prepare for us to have a future that we deserve. Our countrymen have so much untapped potential, and imagine the impact if all of us are given avenues to maximize our growth," Ganados said.