Madame Tussauds Singapore unveils Catriona Gray as its first Miss Universe and premier Filipino wax figure

 

Witness history in the making as Madame Tussauds Singapore unveils Catriona Gray as its first Miss Universe and premier Filipino wax figure to join its star-studded lineup of famous personalities in the popular attraction. Finally gracing the Singapore hall of fame with Pinoy pride, the beauty queen also attended the launch event to celebrate Madame Tussauds Singapore’s first reveal in over two years. 

 

“Being invited by Madame Tussauds to be immortalized in wax is further testimony as to why I chose pageantry.  While I thoroughly enjoy modeling, pageantry has enabled me to have a voice, to inspire change, and to help other women in my immediate communities and beyond,” says the Filipino-Australian personality.

 

According to Madame Tussauds Singapore General Manager Eric Mak, fans picked the Miss Universe 2018 winner as their top pick for as the next personality they want to see in Singapore. In November 2019, Gray had her sitting process with the Madame Tussauds team, which took a total of six hours to finish. 

Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the initial launch set in 2020 was pushed back. After a long two-year wait, fans can now relive the historic crowning moment that united Filipinos from all over the world.

 

Gray’s wax figure is dressed in a bespoke reproduction of her iconic Mayon Volcano-inspired fiery lava red gown by renowned Filipino designer Mak Tumang, who made this version specifically for Madame Tussauds. Visitors can appreciate the beauty and intricate details of the famous gown in all its glory. 

 

As if it couldn’t get any better, the beauty queen herself shares the secrets behind her show stopping lava walk in a 90-second mini video tutorial. To complete the experience, Gray invites visitors to recreate the iconic walk that made a mark in the Miss Universe pageant. 

 

“Since being crowned Miss Universe 2018, I’ve strived to say yes to anything that enables me to lift up fellow women, to give them a reason to believe in themselves and the collective power we have when we work together as one.  I believe that if my figure being here inspires just one person to believe in themselves and to find a path that is true to them, it has all been worth it. I am so unbelievably proud to be the first Filipino to grace Madame Tussauds Singapore, not least the first female Filipino.  May I now be the first of many,” adds Gray, who is also admired for juggling her work as a model, singer, tv personality, youth advocate, and arts ambassador in addition to being a beauty queen. 

To show her support for healthcare workers in Singapore, Gray and her team have donated care packs for the benefit of the nursing staff at IHH Healthcare during her visit. 

 

Fans can visit Gray’s wax figure in Madame Tussauds Singapore for next six months before it jets off to join the wax figures of fellow Filipinos Miss Universe 2016 Pia Wurtzbach and boxing champ Manny Pacquiao in Madame Tussauds Hong Kong, then in Bangkok where the Miss Universe 2018 pageant was held. 

 

Fully-vaccinated Filipino tourists can now enter Singapore courtesy of the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) program. This program allows fully-vaccinated travelers to be quarantine-free upon arrival in Singapore. 

 

Apart from booking a VTL flight, Filipino travelers are required to present proof of vaccination, negative COVID-19 test result taken prior to traveling, and travel insurance. 

 

“With the easing of travel restrictions between the Philippines and Singapore, we look forward to welcoming even more of Catriona’s fans to see her up close and personal,” says Mak. 

 

Madame Tussauds Singapore is also offering an exclusive discount for all healthcare workers in Singapore who wish to spend a day in the attraction. They get 50% off when they book their tickets at www.madametussauds.com/singapore with the promo code HEALTH50. Valid medical/healthcare ID is required upon entry. 

 

For more information, visit www.madametussauds.com/singapore/ and follow Madame Tussauds Singapore on Facebook and @MTsSingapore on Instagram, Twitter,  and TikTok. 

 

Catriona Gray and other celebrities share their all-time favorite Netflix films and TV shows

 With accessibility to online content and streaming platforms, it comes as no surprise that there is more interest when it comes to exploring and discovering content online. This also proves to be true when finding good films and shows to watch on a digital streaming platform like Netflix.

 

#TeamGalaxy ambassadors are just some of those who have relied on Netflix to stay updated with the latest movies and TV shows. They use the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro, which comes with superior sound quality and other exciting features, to make streaming on their Galaxy smartphone or tablet more immersive. 

 

Catriona Gray, Richard Juan, Alyssa and Gabriella Gibbs, Bea Benedicto, and Jason Magbanua share their all-time favorite Netflix films and TV shows:

 

Catriona Gray

More often than not, me-time for Catriona means binge-watching on her Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G paired with her Galaxy Buds Pro. She finds inspiration in documentaries of musical artists. Lady Gaga’s Gaga: Five Foot Two, Taylor Swift’s Miss Americana, and Beyoncé’s Homecoming are some of her recent favorites. 

 

“I love seeing how their artistic vision comes alive through their music, and what life events inspired their craft,” Catriona said. 

 

As for shows, Catriona gravitates towards feel-good titles like Queer Eye. “I love the heart of this show and I’ve laughed and cried multiple times watching it,” she added. She has also seen New Girl multiple times and she watches the show to unwind after a long day. 

 

Catriona makes sure to binge-watch her favorite Netflix shows with immersive sound using the Galaxy Buds Pro. The earbuds feature studio-quality audio for a cinematic movie experience when watching on her Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G.

 

Alyssa and Gabriella Gibbs

The Gibbs sisters surely love Netflix as they use the platform every day. The sisters enjoy watching movies and TV shows that have a good story and are artfully made. The shows they binge contain "a mix of our love for art, music, and fashion.”

 

Some of their top series include Call My Agent, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Blown Away, The Queen’s Gambit, Lupin, Pose, Glow, and Abstract: The Art of Design. They count Brooklyn Nine-Nine and New Girl as shows they’ve seen multiple times. They’ve also seen some K-dramas and TV shows like Crash Landing on You, Itaewon Class, and Kingdom.

 

For movies, they have varying tastes: Alyssa likes fantasy and sci-fi titles while Gabriella enjoys romantic comedies. Some of their favorite movies on Netflix are Moxie, I Care a Lot, Malcolm and Marie, Made You Look, and Prom.

 

Despite their diverse taste in films, Alyssa and Gabriella both agree that it’s important to have a device that brings a sense of realism to the viewer. They are happy that the Galaxy Buds Pro has a 360 Audio feature which makes watching more engaging and immersive for them.  

 

Richard Juan

Richard is the go-to guy for everything K-drama. His all-time favorite is It's Okay to Not Be Okay. 

 

“It never gets old. It helped me cope during the pandemic and it’s nice that it also inspired and gave hope to everyone.” Other favorites include Start-Up, My Love From the Star, Crash Landing on You, and Record of Youth.

 

Because of his love for K-dramas, Richard shares that he’s thankful that the Galaxy Buds Pro comes with an intelligent Active Noise Cancellation which filters up to 99% of background noise so he can focus on watching without interruptions.

 

Bea Benedicto

The TV and events host describes herself as a big horror and thriller fan. She’s binged The Haunting of Hill House and says she can watch it 50 more times since “it’s just so good!” Thriller movies like Bird Box and In the Tall Grass made her heart race.

 

She enjoys the anime selection on Netflix, sharing Attack on Titan, Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba as some of her recent picks.

 

Bea is also a fan of movies and TV shows that give her good vibes and kilig. Some of her favorite movies are Kimi no Na wa or Your Name, Bridesmaids, and Bridget Jones’s Diary. For TV series, she enjoys Jane the Virgin and K-dramas like Love Alarm, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo, and What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim.

 

If she could name one Netflix title that has inspired her as an individual, it would be RuPaul’s Drag Race. 

 

“No show has inspired me to be more creative and political. It’s not just a reality show about drag. It’s a movement, a beacon of hope,” Bea mentioned. 

 

Bea loves to binge-watch movies throughout the day. She says that the Galaxy Buds Pro has a long-lasting battery life which can keep up with her daily marathons day and night.

 

Jason Magbanua

The wedding videographer is a huge fan of blockbusters, comic book adaptations, and heist and spy thrillers. Jason says that he can't not watch the Ocean's trilogy. 

 

“The movies aged so well and the star power still cannot be beaten. What an amazing ensemble!”

 

His passion for action-packed titles extends to other favorites, such as Lupin, The White Tiger, and the series Homeland. Another top watch is Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby. 

 

As one of the country’s top creatives, Jason also enjoys beautifully-made and design-oriented titles. An example would be The Queen’s Gambit, whose cinematography and production design left him in awe. Another is Abstract: The Art of Design. “It truly is an inspiring watch for people in the creative field,” Jason shared. 

 

When using his Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, Jason notes that nothing beats an immersive, cinematic movie experience. The Galaxy Buds Pro’s 360 Audio feature lets Jason immerse himself with cinematic sound, especially for action-packed blockbuster hits.

 

Enjoy the immersive sound and watch films with incredible realism with the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro. Customers can enjoy 10% off on this device when they purchase any participating Galaxy S, Note, Z, or Fold series smartphone until April 30, 2021^[1]. 

 

The Galaxy Buds Pro is priced at PHP 9,990 SRP and comes in stunning Phantom Black, Phantom Violet, and Phantom Silver. 

 

 

For more information about the Galaxy Buds Pro, visit samsung.com/ph.

Empowered Women Rule on TikTok

March is National Women’s Month in the Philippines, a special occasion celebrated in honor of International Women’s Day. During this month-long event, we recognize the achievements made by notable Filipinas and women worldwide, as well as the steps they have taken to promote change and raise awareness for issues that truly matter.  

In recent years, social media has become a platform for many of these empowered ladies to spread their advocacies. Through this, they have found a way to get their messages across to a wider range of people. Social media has also allowed them to build and nurture online communities that uplift and provide support for other women all around the globe. 

Indeed, there is no limit to what an empowered woman is capable of doing. This Women’s Month, in honor of all the strong, inspirational females we look up to, we’ve rounded up some of the best videos from empowered women on TikTok. Check them out to see the many qualities that make these women absolutely amazing. 

Confidence is power

One common trait possessed by every powerful woman is confidence. Having a strong sense of self, and faith in their own abilities enables these women to rise up and pursue their dreams. Two stellar examples of women of confidence are Zozibini Tunzi and Catriona Grey, who have both worn the crown of Miss Universe. 

Being beautiful inside and out, their self-assurance shines through as a perfect complement to their physical beauty. These women are queens in their own right, who have used their time in the spotlight to break boundaries, and advocate for equality, inclusion, and women’s rights. 

Zozibini Tunzi

@missuniverse Queen status 🤩✨ ##missuniverse ##missuniverse2019 ##fyp ##foryoupage ##randomfacts
♬ Girl On Fire - Inferno Version - Alicia Keys feat. Nicki Minaj

CATRIONA GRAY 

@missuniverse Came through drippin’ 💎##checkmydrip ##missuniverse ##missuniverse2019 ##fyp ##foryouppage
♬ Diva - Beyoncé

An empowered woman embraces her quirks

There is beauty in imperfection, and a woman who is able to embrace her quirks can definitely be considered empowered. A positive attitude like this can uplift others, and inspire them to accept and love themselves as they are.

Local celebrities like Jodi Sta. Maria, Bela Padilla and Isabelle Daza are not afraid to show their quirky self online, making them more relatable and endearing to their followers. Their videos on TikTok show that these women have the ability to not take things too seriously, and remember to enjoy life amidst any challenges they might face. 

Jodi Sta. Maria

@jodi_stamaria Ah...sira yung gitara 😬
♬ KaHiT aYaW nG giTaRa - J I M 🌚

Bela Padilla

@bela050390 I’m baaaack
♬ Calabria 2007 (Radio Mix) - Enur, Natasja

Isabelle Daza

@isabelledaza so i decided to try my first tikTok video during our marketing meeting. I think it went well.
♬ Pump - Valentino Khan

A talented woman is an empowered one

When people use their talents for good, they are able to make an impact on others, touch lives, and even drive positive change. We see this clearly in actors, musicians, athletes, and personalities who have gained global recognition in what they do, and are considered to be role models. These empowered individuals help shape the future by inspiring the youth to aim high and reach for the stars. 

Two examples of empowered and talented individuals are artists, Donnalyn Bartolome and Alicia Keys. Their music has made waves in the local scene and abroad, and both women are true icons who bring joy to their fans. 

Donnalyn Bartolome

@donnalyn.bartolome ##PagSiya 💕
♬ original sound - donnalyn.bartolome

Alicia Keys

@aliciakeys Major Minor Vibes 🐶🎾😭
♬ original sound - aliciakeys

Catriona finds ways to reach greater heights

It's been months since Catriona Gray gloriously walked away with the Miss Universe title, but her road to success was very different from the other winners from the Philippines.

According to Catriona, she was aiming for the pageant's crown for reasons beyond mere personal ambition. Rather, she wanted the Miss Universe title so she could use it as a platform to boost her advocacies and causes, to give back to the community.

Throughout her journey, she showed how different she was, starting with signing up as an independent candidate for Binibining Pilipinas. She also formed her own pageant team, handpicking her own designers, mentors and stylists.

Along the way, Catriona had her share of naysayers and haters. She faced the grueling physical challenges of perfecting her walk and dealing with psychological pressure of carrying the hopes of over 100 million Filipinos during the pageant. This is the reason why it was such sweet triumph when she finally won the Miss Universe 2018 title.

Many Filipinos, especially millennials, draw inspiration from Catriona's story of never giving up and finding new ways to reach her ultimate goal of being a beauty queen. Like her, they strive hard and seek innovation to achieve their goals and aspirations. "Many felt so 'personally invested' in my journey because they saw themselves in me, as I put myself out there," Catriona shared. 

"I wanted to share my journey, including the trials, the risk of joining the pageant, the motivation (which is my charity work), the people who helped me along the way, along with the failures, too," she continued.

In chasing her own dreams, whether for a modelling career or for furthering her advocacies, Catriona looked for people, teams and organizations that could help her do just that. "I choose my partners very carefully. For instance in the case of money matters, I chose to go with my most trusted bank, BDO. Their recent 'Find Your Way' campaign is deeply personal for me, and I am so honored that BDO saw my journey as a way of inspiring other people," she shared. 

"I've had several financial conversations with BDO officers and I am so impressed by their depth of knowledge and am using that to help me achieve my unique goals," Catriona said.

"My dreams will continue to evolve! I would love to see myself pursuing music as a performer and recording artist with the goal of having my own songs and doing benefit tours. Also, I plan on pursuing business that has a community contribution," the beauty queen added.

"I want to be known as a purposeful queen – to represent a person that not only strives for success, but realizes the responsibility of helping others achieve it also."

Beauty Queen Catriona Gray Faces Off with Photographer Pat Dy in the Second Installment of the Huawei #SeeMore Challenge Series

Catriona Gray's Photo

How far was this episode’s celebrity guest, Catriona Gray willing to go to get the ultimate snapshot in #SeeMore: Celebrities vs Photographers?

The beauty queen went up against professional wedding and travel photographer Pat Dy in Masungi Georeserve, Rizal to test the phone’s DSLR-rivalling features against each other.

Pat Dy's photo

Naturally, the uncontrollable elements in the landscape made it a challenge to shoot, but the two contestants showed they could #SeeSmarter with the Huawei P20 Pro’s AI Object Identification. And if that didn’t make it easy enough, the 5x Hybrid Zoom sealed the deal, allowing us to #SeeCloser in the smallest details.

Were Catriona’s shots good enough to match up to Pat Dy’s professional experience? Visit this link to check out the full video: https://www.facebook.com/HuaweimobilePH/videos/1699850520096440/.

Cast your votes for the winner of the first #SeeMore Challenge for a chance to win your own Huawei P20 - http://campaign.consumer.huawei.com/sp/ph

Follow Huawei on Facebook to be the first to watch the next episode, where city photographer JC Gellidon goes up against our next celebrity contestant. #SeeMore #OOO #HuaweiP20Series.


Pricing and Availability 

The Huawei P20 Pro is available for Php 44,990 in three eye-catching color options: Twilight, Midnight Blue, and Black. The Huawei P20 comes in Black and Midnight Blue for Php 34,990, and the Huawei P20 Lite is available in Klein Blue and Midnight Black for Php 15,990.

Own the best smartphone camera around through the country’s top mobile networks and other financing options. For Globe postpaid subscribers, you can get the Huawei P20 Lite for free with ThePLAN 1499, the Huawei P20 with P2149 (ThePLAN 1999 + 3,600 cashout), and the Huawei P20 Pro at P2599 (ThePLAN 1999 + 14,400 cashout). All plans are customizable, but include unlimited texts + calls, Free Facebook data, and 3 months of Spotify for free as standard.

The P20 Pink Gold is also available via Globe Platinum Plan 3799. It includes 20GB consumable data, unlimited calls to Globe and TM, unlimited texts to all networks and it also comes with PHP 1,500 of monthly consumable allowance.

For SMART subscribers, you can get the Huawei P20 lite and P20 at plans 1299 and 1699 per month respectively while the Huawei P20 Pro at Php 2399 per month. All plans include 4.5/5 GB for all Apps & Sites, 10GB for videos (Youtube, iFlix, Fox+, iWantTV), unlimited all-net text, 50/60 all net-minutes, discounted calls to Smart & TNT, free 1-month gadget shield, and data rollover.

CITI Bank, BDO, BPI, HSBC, Metro Bank, and Eastwest Bank credit card holders may avail the Huawei P20 and P20 Pro in installment for 12 to 24 months at 0% interest. Promo runs from April 28 to June 30, 2018 at select Huawei Experience stores, Experience Kiosks, and partner retailers nationwide.

You can also get the P20 Lite through Home Credit, available for 0% interest installment over 6 to 9 months.

For more information about Huawei devices in the Philippines, you may check out https://www.facebook.com/HuaweimobilePH/.