Bb. Pilipinas Intercontinental 2021 Cinderella Obenita on Beauty, Fitness, and Mental Strength

Can you imagine what it’s like to be scrutinized and judged by your looks while your social media presence and answers to media questions are also nitpicked and broken down? This is just part of what a beauty pageant contestant has to go through, and it does not end after she wins her title.

In this special #CoffeeWithKai series, we meet the new queens of Bb. Pilipinas 2021. They share beauty tips, fitness tips, and mental health tips that can help you.

[Transcript]

Kai Magsanoc: Hi, everyone! Welcome to #CoffeeWithKai here on Hello Doctor PH. So, this is a special series where I spend time chatting with the new Binibining Pilipinas 2021 queens.

For me, beauty queens are really important because I’ve seen how Filipinos really follow them and look up to them. I’m really glad to tell you, this is my 3rd interview, and so far, all of them have been really impressive with their substance, so it’s really beauty inside and out.

So today, we’re talking to Cinderella Faye Obeñita. She is our new Binibining Pilipinas Intercontinental. Hi, Cindy! How are you?

Cinderella Faye Obeñita: Hi, Miss Kai! Hello, everyone! Thank you so much for having us. It’s an honor to be here.

KM: Yeah, of course, and ‘pag ganito kadilim ang panahon, parang everyone’s looking for something they can watch and [that can] inspire them. So it’s perfect to get to know our Binibining Pilipinas queens.

Speaking of, Cindy, let’s not assume that everyone was able to follow your Binibining Pilipinas journey. So for those who do not know their new Miss Intercontinental yet, can you tell us more about yourself, please?

CFO: Yeah, so once again, I’m your Binibining Pilipinas Intercontinental 2021, Cinderella Faye Obeñita, and I am from Cagayan De Oro, Misamis Oriental.

It’s actually in Mindanao, and I graduated Magna Cum Laude, with a degree in Mass Communication, in my hometown of Cagayan De Oro. I was academically multi-decorated since my elementary years, so from that you can see na hard work [and] perseverance are really the values that I treasure.

I currently work now as your Tourism Operations Officer sa local government of Misamis Oriental. And on the sideline, I wear many hats as an events host, print and ramp model, brand endorser, and — most especially — I’m the founder of Crown CDO. It is a cervical cancer awareness and prevention circle, and this is in partnership with MOPNFI, which stands for Misamis Oriental Physicians-Nurses Foundation Incorporated, wherein we elevate awareness and we really encourage women to get to know their status, especially their health status.

KM: Oh, that’s great! We’re gonna delve more about that. That’s really impressive and super-aligned with what Hello Doctor is doing, which is about democratizing medically-verified healthcare information and services. Everyone deserves access, right? To get information and service.

So before we go to that, you’re already wearing different hats, Cindy. What made you decide to go for one more, to become a beauty queen? Why did you join Binibini?

CFO: Well, it has always been a dream to really be part of Binibining Pilipinas, because Binibini, for me, is really a hallmark of excellence in Philippine pageantry. I still have the time because I’m not yet 29, and I want to make use of my time to make meaningful life decisions, and that’s really by joining Binibini.

This is a very strong platform. This is a platform where you can engage to a lot of audience, especially when you have a cause with you that is really meaningful.

So by joining Binibining Pilipinas, I was able to get to know more of the girls, their causes, what they believe in, and also, I was able to share mine. And by sharing, I’m already elevating awareness.

So winning one of the crowns, this is something that makes me happy because this means that I have a wider reach. So the more conversations and discussions we make, the more women are more involved.

KM: Yeah. It’s up to you how to use your voice now. You have a very powerful position, more than celebrities. Iba ang tingin ng mga Pilipino sa beauty queens nila. As in, grabe talaga. I’ve seen the effect, and thank you very much for being conscious about using that for the cause that you support.

So it’s been more than two weeks since you received your title. How has it been for you?

CFO: You know, Miss Kai, it’s been an amazing journey so far. Be it with the responsibilities, be it with the working environment, and most specially the queens and the staff, I’m really, really honored to be working with BPCI. It’s been heartwarming, and even up until now, it’s been two weeks but it’s still overwhelming.

KM: Okay, well I hope you never run out of that light. That keeps you happy.

CFO: Yeah, I’m still on cloud nine and it’s been two weeks.

KM: And I hope that you stay there. Kasi good vibes are very infectious.

So okay, going back to your advocacy, why cervical cancer awareness? I mean, there are so many forms of cancer that women have to manage in their life, that they have to test and monitor para mahuli agad nang maaga. But why did you choose cervical cancer?

CFO: Cervical cancer, Miss Kai, is a very personal advocacy, because I lost 3 of my loved ones due to cancer. And the very reason why I chose cervical cancer was that we made this research when we were in college that cervical cancer is actually top two among the killers here in the Philippines. Because number one is breast cancer.

And it’s really important that we still have to focus our attention to cervical cancer, because not a lot of people are aware of it. Women take this for granted, take the screening for granted. They don’t go to hospitals, they don’t seek medical attention, unless they don’t feel anything.

So knowing is really half the battle. Once you know your status, you know your treatment, you know what’s inside your body, and that you would be able to move forward.

So that’s why we’re really focusing on cervical cancer, because there is a cure, and we can prevent it.

KM: Yes, it’s preventable, right? They have the vaccine. Yeah, okay. That makes a lot of sense. Thank you for shedding light on this other cancer that women also have to watch out for.

So guys, talk to your OB-Gyn, maybe we’re talking to 18 year olds, those who are seeing their OG-Gyne, ask about how you can get yourself screened or tested. Ask them about the HPV vaccine and how you can get it.

Cervical cancer is preventable, but we have to be vigilant about monitoring.

So this interview on Hello Doctor would not be complete if we don’t talk about your health and wellness practices that our viewers can follow since they look up to you. Parang, “How do I become a Cindy?” So ‘yung ugali ni Cindy hindi ko na ‘yun makukuha, pero ‘yung beauty niya, ‘yung fitness niya, pwedeng i-emulate.

Let’s talk about fitness, Cindy. What is your exercise or workout routine? And what do you do when — are there days when you don’t feel like it? Like just being a regular human being? How do you power through the lack of motivation when that happens?

CFO: Yes, I’m guilty with that, Miss Kai, because there are days when I just want to sleep all day. And I think, siguro we need to instill in our minds that, yes, it may sound cliché, but still, health is wealth.

We need to be very careful with what we eat, I don’t really follow a strict diet. I eat rice, I eat thrice a day, but not too much, because alam naman natin na rice is equal to sugar. And it’s very important that we know our limitations.

And also, for exercise naman, I have read that even if you only do a 15 to 20 minute exercise per day, be it using jumping ropes or stretching or biking, that means so much. As long as it is daily, you’re doing it daily.

So for beauty queens naman, we really follow strict fitness exercises, because we are in a competition and it’s really important to have a powerful core, because it helps you with the strength of your walk. So once you have that powerful core, it really won’t be hard for you to do the long strides.

So yes, we have our gym trainers, but for those of you who are not in the pageant scene, who are not beauty queens, you can do it at home. Like doing zumba, there are many sessions that you can watch or see online. Mayro’n sa YouTube, so just search it and then sweat it all out, and then that’s good, that makes your day.

KM: Okay, cool, so a strong core and then zumba, right? Oo, kasi for mere mortals like us, if our core is strong, that actually helps with back pain.

Pero kung gusto niyo ng lakad beauty queen and tayong beauty queen, ayon. We can Google how to strengthen our core, and I’m sure there are workouts na pwede nating sundin sa YouTube, as Cindy mentioned.

Okay, sabi nila na ‘yung fitness is actually more about what you eat. So you mentioned that you eat normally, but you eat in moderation. Pero mayro’n ka bang mga cheat days, or mayro’n bang mga days na mas strict?

CFO: A month before the competition, Miss Kai, that’s when we really follow a strict diet. I want to share this with you na during our pre-pageant activities, especially the swimsuit competition, the day before that competition, wala na kami halos kinakain, like water. Because we don’t want to be bloated on the swimsuit day. So water and then energy bars na lang, but also, no rice na.

You can eat pasta, you can eat sandwiches, but no rice. Wala na ‘yung mga super heavy meals, but the months prior to that swimsuit round, swimsuit competition, we really eat. Because you can eat as long as you do the fitness exercise after. Because you need to carbo-load.

KM: Tsaka ‘yung carbo-load for energy, ‘di ba? You had long days because you had a lot of activities.

CFO: Yeah, especially if we have practices. Matagal kasi ‘yung mga practices namin, mga 8 hours per day.

KM: My gosh, were you rehearsing in heels?

CFO: Yes! With heels on, Miss Kai.

KM: I do not envy you. So talagang ang galing, for the fact that 34 beautiful women went through the same thing, and then you emerged as one of the queens, one of the winners — that probably really said something that — you really stood out, Cindy. So that’s great.

Speaking of, so of course, beauty. It’s a beauty pageant. In terms of hair and skin care, how do you take care of your skin? What is your routine? Kasi syempre, stress also affects the skin, so how did you maintain the health of your skin? You have beautiful, glowing skin.

CFO: No, because of the ring light. Well really, Miss Kai, honestly, I have super stressed skin right now. Maybe because every day, we put on makeup for the interviews, and for the guestings. So I do have acne, I have acne marks, I have oily and even dry skin.

So parang naging combination na siya, and it’s not something that you should be ashamed of, and just embrace it because there are people who really can help you if you just show it to them. ‘Cause once you hide it most of the time, hindi nila ‘yun mapapansin, and it would be difficult for you to seek for medical attention.

So it’s really important to show it, and to embrace it, embrace your differences and imperfections. And yeah, right now, I have some acne, but I have this clinic, I’m working a very renowned clinic also, skin clinic, here in the Philippines, and they’re helping me do that treatment.

It doesn’t have to be super expensive treatment because you need to know your skin type. There are some treatments that are good for this type of skin, and then there are those na hindi hiyang. Like even with how expensive the treatment is, hindi pa rin hiyang.

So mas mabuti talaga that once we have observed something on our face, it’s really important to really seek help from any dermatologist. I really don’t advocate ‘yung para kang nagself-medicate?

Because we’re seeing a lot of people who are self medicating, maybe because of what you’re seeing online. Like, “Eto, we have this set for glowing skin, for glass skin,” and then people will purchase kasi hiyang sa kanya, but we really don’t know what effect it will cause sa atin. So please, it’s really important to visit your derma.

KM: Yeah, consult with your doctor. Because we have very different skin acidity, tsaka ‘yung needs, depende pa sa age, depende pa sa nae-expose na elements ‘yung balat.

My gosh, you’re such a great ambassador for health and wellness, because we really say that yeah, don’t self-medicate because that’s what people do kasi now. They self-diagnose, they self-medicate, and then they end up with worse skin, because hindi naman talaga sila trained. That’s why we have our doctors who studied that.

CFO: And then there are those who keep covering it up with concealers, and it really worsens the acne because of the ingredients or the chemicals na andun sa makeup. So let your skin rest or breathe, if you really have the time.

KM: Okay, alright. So let’s go to the most important aspect of health for me that I think a beauty queen like you probably manage also, mental health.

Because being part of a pageant, you always have to smile, you’re photographed all the time, especially now that you have a title. Even if you’re not okay, you have to smile, because people are looking at you.

So how do you manage your mental health, Cindy? What is your routine? How do you make sure that you keep this good head on your shoulders?

CFO: Miss Kai, we’ve mentioned this in a lot of our interviews, on how to answer the, “When is it okay not to be okay?” or “When is it not okay to be okay?” question of Tito Boy. And we came to realize na it is really okay not to be okay.

There are times when we feel depressed, there are times when we feel alone, or lonely, and it’s really okay. For your mental health, it’s really important that you’re surrounded with positive people. That there is that someone you can talk to, and that you can lean on.

So for us naman, who are not that mentally disturbed, it’s very important to listen to these people. Like if they message you through Facebook, or whatever platform available, if you have the time, please respond.

Please respond, because you don’t know the impact of your response to this person who is suffering mental health problems.

Yes, it’s very important to surround yourself, it’s also really important to look for or to do things you really want to do, or to do hobbies. Like for me, what makes me happy is when I watch a series, so that makes me happy, that helps my mental health.

And also, it may sound very simple, it may sound very, parang sa iba walang-kwenta but ‘yung mga ginagawa natin that makes our mental health stable is something that we should celebrate. Like for example, if magiging happy ka if you are just naghuhugas ng pinggan, if you’re just cooking, if you’re just cleaning the house, then do it. Don’t be afraid, and never dwell on the negativities that people will say kasi ganito ‘yung ginagawa mo.

Kahit nga nago-online selling ka, if that makes you happy, be it, don’t mind the bashers. Kasi ‘yung iba, ikinahihiya nila if they’re doing that, Miss Kai. But we’re all facing a pandemic, we need to look for things so that we would be able to bring food to the table. And also, kahit na you’re just curling your hair, if that makes you happy, then do it, whatever it is that you want to do.

KM: Thank you so much for that, Cindy. So I guess after this interview, people finally know their Binibining Pilipinas Intercontinental so much better, so thank you for being brave enough to be vulnerable.

So Cindy, your message to the viewers of Hello Doctor PH: how can they support you in your journey to the crown? Where can they follow you, and also your advocacy? How can they support your advocacy?

CFO: Once again, thank you so much to Hello Doctor PH, thank you so much Miss Kai Magsanoc, for sharing a piece of your time today just to be with us. And to all the viewers, thank you so much for your support in our Binibining Pilipinas journey. We really have nothing but gratitude to all of you, especially to all Cagayanons and Misamisnons who were with me in my long journey, so daghan kaayong salamat.

And to really get more updates, to know more of our stories, you may visit Binibining Pilipinas’ social media platforms. We have our Facebook, YouTube, and even Instagram. So watch out for that.

And please also do support Crown CDO. Please like and follow our page on Facebook, it’s Crown CDO, for our updates, health updates. And also for all Cagayanons and Misamisnons, as we have mentioned before, yes we are working things out with the office of Senator Grace Poe so that we would be able to procure our HPV vaccines. And once we have it already, we will start listing down those who are qualified for the vaccine.

So watch out for that, and we really want to partner more with non-government organizations, and even government organizations and private sectors. So please, feel free to message me on Facebook, and also I am reaching out to a lot of organizations, I hope that I would be able to get a response from them.

KM: Okay, there you go. We just spent a few minutes getting to know Cinderella Obeñita. Not just a beauty queen, she’s not just Binibining Pilipinas Intercontinental — she is a staunch advocate for cervical cancer awareness.

So sundan niyo na lang po ‘yung mga account na binanggit na niya, kung gusto niyo po silang suportahan, go ahead, kasi mas maraming matutulungang mga kababaihan ang organization ni Cindy.

So this has been Kai Magsanoc of Hello Doctor Philippines, really happy to be spending — my day feels so wonderful because I’ve been spending time with these beautiful women, who are beautiful inside, not just outside.

Until our next interview, this has been Kai. Stay dry, and be well.