“The second runner up for Miss Universe is.Venezuela!” When I heard this announcement my heart was beating fast, my body and hands were shaking as the both of us went to the center of the stage and wait for the moment of truth that can change one of our lives forever.Both countries were cheered to give us support. “Philippines! South Africa! Philippines! South Africa!”

At the center of the stage the crowd’s voices became louder as the host walked in while holding a golden envelope. My hands were shaking as the host starts the announcement.

“Ladies and gentlemen its time one of you is about to become tonight’s Queen are you ready Vegas!?” The new Miss Universe is..."

My hands became cold and my heart was beating so fast like it was going to burst.“The new Miss Universe 2019 is.”The crowds cheered for their countries name and when silence came, the host announces the winner".

“Philippines! Maria Esther Abisamis Congratulations!”

When I heard my country’s name I was over joyed, and felt many emotions. Many Filipinos were cheering like it was the last, and when the crown was passed over my head flashback showed while I was crying with joy and questioned myself.

“Who would’ve thought that a sinful and an ungrateful girl like me can win this kind of responsibility? A task of being a spokesperson for the whole universe to listen, a person who has the crown of not only as a Miss Universe, but also a person who has the crown of the coming change for our universe.”

MISS UNIVERSE

2019

” I am Maria Esther Abisamis your Miss Universe 2019, and this my journey on getting the crown and how did my choice got the chance to get the permanent change in my life.”

 I was born in April 21, 1997 in the wonderful place in Tondo, Manila. My family is not that rich so that is the reason why we have to deal with foods that are found in the trashes. Our house is located near a lake that is full of junk.

As I grew older I was forced by my parents to work as a garbage collector to find some food to eat. Life was hard because every morning I have to wake up very early just to wait for the garbage truck just to see if there are left overs to collect for us to eat. 

When I was 8 years old I was enrolled in a kid center school where children can learn something without any tuition fee, but I was not the type of student who is smart enough to do school works in fact I was always a lazy student. Years past I was in sixth grade, at that time we are about to know if we passed or not.

The passing students will graduate but the failing students will repeat sixth grade. As time went by my name hasn’t been called yet my heart was shaking and imagining what will happen to me when my parents hear that I’m not going to pass sixth grade.

As my teacher enumerates the final five students who will graduate my heart stopped.

“Mr. Cadena, Ms. Sabuyan, Ms. Domingo, Mr. Villoria and finally Ms. Pandingan congratulations for the students who passed and for those who did not pass better luck next time for there is still next year thank you everyone congratulations again class dismissed and Ms. Abisamis a word please?”

I nervously walked to my advisor's desk, sweating and had a scared face. As she showed her my card and exam results my teacher was disappointed and said.“Esther I know that you are a very good student and I know that you can do better than this grade unfortunately I can’t pass you with these low scores of exams and quizzes, but promise me do better next year”

“But sir can you please pass me? My parents will be so mad at me in failing my subjects, I begged. When I said my statement my advisor just hold my hand said “I’m sorry we have to follow a system” and then went away and left me with my report card and test papers. After an hour I finally got the guts to walk home while holding my low grades in a brown envelope.

When I faced the door in our house my father and my mother were waiting for me for our supper. I gently placed the brown envelope to the floor and said to my family. “Good evening mom, dad what’s for supper?”

“Oh, you know the usual” they replied.

As we eat our food I nervously opened the brown envelop and handed it to my parents. As they saw my grades and test results they were silent and took the opportunity to say that I wasn’t graduating to make it in high school. My parents were totally mad at me and scolded me many times.

“Look if you don’t focus on your studies we are going to decide to not enroll you to school, but instead to go work with us” said my father angrily.

“What the? Me and your father can answer this questions correctly even if we didn’t finish school?” my mother said in a loud voice.

When another year of sixth grade started I was desperate to pass because I don’t want to help my parents to pick up garbage’s in a dump side. Many months later we had our exam and I haven’t reviewed any single subject, so my only plan was is to cheat so that

I can graduate.

 When my teacher was outside I tried to scare my other classmate to let me copy their answers or else they will get in trouble with me, so they did let me copy. This happened for many days from stealing their food and drinks from stealing their precious items like pens and notepads. I was entitled the “Demon Girl” in the batch. When results day came my name was called to the list of passers. My parents became proud of me even though I cheated the whole year.The batch never told that I cheated because I scared them. Unfortunately many months have passed I wasn’t yet enrolled to high school due to poverty the thought of not working in a dump side because you graduated did not what I have been expecting.

I was still forced to work and collect garbage’s and because of this my energy of studying became low I became lazier every day and joined a group that I found in the streets.

We often fight people and steal money from people by selling sampaguita flowers in groups targeting one person so that he or she can be distracted, so that we can steal the money in his or her pocket or purse. When I was thirteen years old one of our group introduces us to drugs.

Every night we go to parties in a bar and sell drugs there. We do not know who the master mind of this idea is, but it certainly gave me a lot of money for my education, because of this I finally started high school.

At the age of fourth teen I still secretly sell drugs to bars.Until one night we entered this public bar to sell some drugs but instead we got caught and went behind bars by the police while selling them. We were imprisoned in jail and this made my high school journey stop. Life was hard being an inmate, because we don't usually get what we want but instead we get what we get for being bad. Every morning we get beaten up by some inmates and make us do the things that we don't want to do. My parents sometimes visits me to give me food but after many months they have stopped visiting and I don't know why.

Two years had past and my parents still did not visit me, but one evening my cousin visited me saying that my parent died due to an car accident. I was in total shock I cried loudly as the police officers held me. The worst part is that they did not gave me any chance to see their graves. I went to my cell and screamed like I was possessed.

Weeks later, I still cried on it and went to the altar in the police station and said.

"Lord, I know that I made many bad things during my whole life. Yes, I know that this is the punishment you gave me because I was a stubborn girl. Lord, forgive me please I am very sorry Lord give me another chance and I promise to love and serve you".

When I became 15 a church organization came to prison. They are the ones who help inmates and they also help people who are need. I quickly came over and got inspired with their actions. When they have done their job I ran to them and quickly introduced myself to them.

" Hi father I'm Maria Esther Abisamis, I got really inspired with your help with us inmates and to other people can I please join your club? I would love to be a part of it."

The clubs president liked my statement and held my shoulders saying.

"Wow! well this is a first well we are happy that an inmate like you is hoping to join us, but sure why not let us discuss this first. Thank you Esther".

Days later, Father Charles, the Church priest and president of the organization came to visit me with and handed me a form to join. I felt very happy writing down my name in that registration form. He then said.

" You can start tomorrow you can come with us, but an officer will guard you during your tasks"

"Okay father thank you so much!". I Happily replied.

Many days later, I task to help children in my home town in Tondo. Many changed and saw my house which is abandoned, but i certainly did my best in feeding and playing with hungry children. It was my happiest day in my life.

Many months later, I've been elected as an officer for this organization. I helped many children in my home town and gave one child a bible. While I was giving this a guy took a photo of me and post it to social media. Days later the photo went viral. Everyone knew what I was doing and they think even though that I'm an inmate I they see my positive side instead of my negative side making other people inspired as well.

I was heard all over the news until one day the judge decided to let me free due to my kind actions outside. This really made me to take the opportunity to get the change I needed to change my mistakes in order to become successful. Thanks to Father Charles I continued my studies and finished high school.

Years past and I didn't notice how far I am now. I started to build my own school for children who needs education for free. It was good to see them learning and I also got a chance to make them as my new family. My position got higher and higher as I grow. Then one day an announcement came to every church organization with a poster saying.

Miss Manila 2016

Auditions

Dear to all Churches in Manila,

We are encouraging you to join this years pageant for Dominican volunteers only. Their can be only one representative for our this audition and only one can win the crown of Miss Tondo Manila and will have a shot in the Binibining Pilipinas Competetion or if we are lucky enough we can also run for Miss Universe.

Auditions starts on January 5, 2016 6:00 am.

Competition starts on January 25, 2016 6:00 pm

GOODLUCK AND GOD BLESS!

When they saw the poster, Father Charles immediately judged every girl in our group so we can have our representative. He was very happy to join this because once someone wins in our organization, our advocacy can be heard not just in here in the Philippines, but also across the whole wide world. Giving us a chance to help more who are in need. While Father Charles was picking for our representative he saw me, he ran to me and asked me if I can join because my body is perfect for pageantry and mt face was like and angel. I was flattered with it so I joined the pageant making me their representative in Tondo. They gave me the forms that I need to to sign and they prepared me for my audition from my gown and walks and also for my answers for the interview. Days past and it was the day of competition, many people were cheering for their favorites

in the evening gown round. Then we were sent inside for our interview and this moment for me was very nerve cracking, but I prayed to God for taking this opportunity can make a door open for me in helping more. Minutes later, some contestants cried because they didn't had an answer to the question given, but some succeeded. It was then my turn to be interviews. When I entered the room my hands were cold as ice and I was very nervous. They greeted me and the interview started.

" What was the reason why you joined this competition and what made you inspired to win this thing? and what can your advocacy lead the world to change?"

When I heard the question I reflected my life to get an answer and in a few seconds this statement just popped right through my head.

"The reason why I that I want to join this competition is that I wanna make our organization to be known so that many more loving Christians can help us with our mission to help people specially children to give them what they need like free education and things they are the ones who inspires me to win this and if ever I this many children can be more successful in the future and the children and people all over the world will not experience poverty. I wanna be the crown to be the one who changes all thank you."'

When the results came I was announced first to compete in the main competition of Miss Manila 2016. But many people disagree with my success many people were mocking me that I was a drug seller when I was a kid and I was arrested for many year, but Father Charles said to ignore them instead because they don't know my new self and just pray to God for up coming competition. When the competition started they knew about my negative past and they were planning to kick me out into the competition, but thanks to some supporters I was still able to join. Yet I was afraid to compete but I need conquer myself in order to succeed and to wear the crown that can make me the key to change the world.

During the competition I did my best walk and my best answer in making me to become more successful in making our advocacy to become true. I was awarded with best in evening gown and miss photogenic and then the Q and A round started and I prayed to God that I can say the answer for my organization and for my love ones I call my family.

WHAT WAS THE MISTAKE THAT YOU WANT TO CHANGE IN YOUR LIFE AND HOW WILL YOU APPLY IT THIS PAGEANT?

The biggest mistake in life is selling drugs. I wished that it never happened because this made my dreams shattered behind bars, but thanks to God he gave me another shot to change it by joining a church organization by helping people specially children to give them what is right so that they don't experience the pain and the failure that I had experience. Thank you very much.

After the nerve cracking question and answer its time for the results.

"Okay ladies and gentlemen its time, the second runner up is... contestant number 17! congratulations..Okay guys moving on the first runner up is.... contestant number.. 5!"

I was very nervous when it was time to award the winner of Miss Manila and when it was time my heart was beating fast"

"Okay guys this is it! the new Miss Manila 2016 is.... Contestant number 13! Maria Esther Abisamis congratulations!" When I heard my name I was overjoyed because I can have another shot to compete in the Binibining Pilipinas 2016. We celebrated for my success and they prepared me for my upcoming pageant here in manila to be become Miss Philippines! to fight in the best pageant in the whole universe. Miss Universe!