By | Queen Semana and Flor Leano
After being crowned Miss Earth 2015 in Vienna, Austria, Angelia Ong continues to redefine the role of beauty queens. With a relentless passion for sustainability in fashion and beauty, she empowers others to make conscious choices. Discover how Angelia’s grace, beauty, and advocacy create a lasting impact on the world.
Unveiling the Essence of Sustainability in Fashion & Beauty
In an exclusive interview, Angelia shares her journey towards embracing sustainability in fashion. “Sustainability in fashion and beauty are all about making choices. Choices that greatly consider the good for the environment and people. It involves using materials and production methods that minimize harm to the planet, promoting ethical working conditions, and reducing waste. It’s about making conscious and responsible decisions to ensure a healthier planet for the future,” she explains. Sustainability can also be observed in choosing ethical products by checking where they came from to ensure an ethical way of sourcing.
Embracing the concept of sustainability in fashion did not also come instantly for Angelia. “Just like everybody else, I was once somebody who had no idea what sustainability is, especially in fashion. But when I won Miss Earth, I understood more about how to make this industry more sustainable,” she shares.
Leading the Change: Angelia’s Call to Action
Although the purpose of sustainability in fashion and beauty is noble, it is not yet a mainstream concept. “It saddens me that not everybody is actually aware of how to apply sustainability in fashion and beauty. So I would like to promote it further. I would like to encourage people to embrace sustainability in fashion and beauty and to make conscious efforts to do a little research like where do the materials come from and to know if they have ethical sources. It is also important to find out if a product respects nature and if the manufacturers regard the people who make them,” Angelia explains.
She points out that since she won in Vienna, Austria eight years ago, she has learned so much. She realized that it’s very important to support our own. And as for her advocacy, among the best ways of promoting it is to start with friends and family and be a walking example yourself, emphasizing the value of word of mouth in promoting sustainability in fashion. “As Miss Earth, I have the privilege to promote sustainability in various areas. In fashion and beauty, I inspire others through my own actions and choices. Awareness, education, and research are crucial. By demanding sustainable and ethical practices as consumers, we can influence businesses. Alternatives like slow fashion, vintage, and upcycling are accessible options. I strive to lead by example and inspire conscious consumption with the intention to better this place we call home. People find it distant to follow sustainability because they think it’s too expensive right away. But nowadays, more brands are following suit on the sustainability journey,” she adds. For her advocacy, she admits to being not perfect but she tries her best to lead by example. “I always try to highlight brands I know that prioritize ethical practices and sustainability. Certifications like Fair Trade, organic, and cruelty-free indicate responsible production. As an entrepreneur, I try to uphold these principles to my businesses, respecting people and the planet. By reminding everyone of the importance of conscious choices, we can reduce our environmental impact,” she hopefully shares.
Beyond the Crown: Angelia’s Global Ventures
Aside from advocating sustainability in fashion and beauty, Angelia has been busy doing what she truly loves. “Travelling has always been something I enjoy since I was young. I even started working while travelling. It has always been part of it and I’m very happy that despite what happened during the pandemic, I’m now able to travel more and get to explore the world,” Angelia tells Fair Magazine. She is always on the go and said that she probably travelled more lately than she did in 2015 as Miss Earth. To her, seeing the world with better wisdom, maturity and a much different lens has helped her find a different kind of appreciation of the world. It also gives her the courage to start businesses by herself and with friends which inspired her to explore more ideas like social entrepreneurship in the hopes of bringing earth-friendly products more accessible. She has been exploring more of her creativity and of course her entrepreneurial side. She has been exploring different kinds of businesses here and abroad and she’s just very glad that she gets to do all of those remotely. But she always loves to come back home and accomplish new things.
Beauty Secrets of a Timeless Queen
Beauty queens like Angelia are sources of inspiration. People are always curious about their lifestyle especially on how they keep their skin flawlessly stunning. For skincare, Angelia says that it’s so important to stay hydrated wherever we are. “Whether it’s hot or cold, hydration really helps keep your skin youthful. It helps as we grow older and as we mature, we need to be more hydrated. I make sure that I always take off my makeup before sleeping. No matter how tired I can get, I always make sure that my face is squeaky clean and then I always have creams. I do experiments a lot. It’s a lot of trial and error but don’t be scared. And those products that I tested and have proven effective, have never left my travel case,” she shares. She further adds the importance of mood in having beautiful skin. She says that having a good mood is very important in taking care of oneself. She also encourages us to choose to be happy because happy hormones really make the skin more beautiful. In addition, she said: “Keeping confident in your skin requires effort. As I grew older, I took my skincare routine more seriously. A holistic approach includes vitamins, hydration, sleep, and stress management. I’ve learned how to listen to my body and what my skin needs that’s why I don’t stick to just one brand and would switch it up a little bit as I go along. Never sleep with makeup on. Invest in a good cleanser, toner, moisturizer, night cream, and serum.”
Inspiration Personified: Angelia’s Journey
Angelia was one of the awardees of Philippine Empowered Men and Women of the Year 2017 held at the Teatrino Promenade in San Juan, Manila in December 2017 for her inspiring life story and her will to serve other people and communities. She is indeed an ideal model for women who are struggling to achieve their dreams. And to those who are doubting if they can make it, she said that they should not give up. She has almost given up at times but she chose not to. When things get rough, she just pauses to think. She cries a little and eventually, she realizes that maybe there are things that are meant not for her. So she lets them go. In the end, she still knows what her dreams are and so, she still tries her best to reach them. It doesn’t matter how fast or slow it takes, as long as she’s on her way there and she still strives to reach them.
Turning Criticism into Fuel: Angelia’s Perspective
Social media has made everyone prone to reading criticisms. Some people get distracted by these criticisms and later feel less empowered to do the things they like. Angelia admits that she herself has gone through a lot of criticisms. She also got affected but later on, she learned to embrace it as a reality. Rather than grumbling about it, she suggests that we have to keep an open mind when facing criticism. Instead of feeling down and helpless, we have to try to consider criticisms as fuel to improve ourselves. She also says: “When things get tough, just remember that you have the power to decide how it will affect you. That itself is very much empowering. View it constructively for growth, or let it go if it is baseless. Resist the negativity and remember what is enough and worthy. Don’t forget to be kind and be patient with yourself in navigating challenges like this. Each person’s path to empowerment will be unique. Find approaches that resonate with you in this very personal journey.”
As one of the title holders of Miss Earth, Angelia brought honour to the country and she is very thankful for this beautiful and meaningful experience. What was the perfect mix for her success? “I’ve always been consistent,” she declares. And for those aspiring to win the coveted Miss Earth crown, this is her advice: “You have to be truthful with yourself and must be yourself. You cannot copy others and you have to be really authentic as that will shine all throughout. Second, you have to check your heart and ask yourself if you are doing this to be famous because this job is not just about the glitz and glamour. And of course, educate yourself with the environmental problems that we’ve been facing and try and challenge yourself if there is something that you can be of help to fix the problem and then encourage other people to do the same.” Angelia also said that Miss Earth aspirants need to look inside their hearts and check their intentions since Miss Earth is more than a pageant; it is about advocating for a cause. Despite all of the pageant pressures, she encourages aspirants to enjoy the journey and be prepared to be welcomed as a family, with or without the crown.
Miss Earth’s Environmental Crusader
Working for the environmental cause has been part of Angelia’s life as a beauty queen. She has joined and led a lot of environmental activities but, as an Earth warrior, she considers inspiring others to embrace the cause and become champions for change as her greatest achievement. “I realized that I have become an instrument to influence and inspire others to become earth warriors themselves. When people join the fight and become advocates, it fulfils my purpose. I hope for a future where we no longer need to be warriors, ending the environmental battle and injustices”, she explains. As of now, she thinks that she is still very far from her ultimate goal when it comes to her environmental goals. She feels like there are so many things she still needs to do but she is very happy that since 2015, she has been aware of the current situation of our planet. This makes her very proud to share her story and to inspire more people on the platform that she was given and hopefully, the people whom she inspired can do the same. Environmentally-wise, Angelia has a lot of dreams for the Philippines because it is really at the forefront of the effects of climate change. The country is also one of the plastic pollutants worldwide. Despite these, she appreciates the beauty of our nation and the beauty of our countrymen. She said that the best way we can protect the beauty of our country is to promote eco-tourism. In this way, we get to promote our beautiful country and at the same time, we get to promote how to take care of it.
Angelia concludes by encouraging women to believe in the power of their dreams because they are born special, capable, and worthy. She said that challenges are part of the journey and to embrace them as opportunities for growth. “Surround yourself with people that can inspire you and support you at your best and at your lowest. If you believe I’ve done something good, please know you can too,” she affirms. #WeWillBecauseWeCan
COVER : ANGELIA ONG (@missearth.angelia)
COVER STORY : FLOR LEANO
PHOTOGRAPHY : EDWARD KEELER (@redkeeler)
STYLING AND CREATIVE DIRECTION : JANNO NOVENARIO (@jannostyles)
MAKEUP : AJ TELEBRICO (@ajtelebrico)
HAIR : JACOB REYES (@iamjacobrys)
VIDEO : KAI PAREDES (@kaithecreatorofficial)
VIDEO EDIT : KAI PAREDES (@kaithecreatorofficial) and KAREN BAGUHIN (@itskaren.b)
SHOT ON LOCATION : LIME RESORT MANILA (@limehotelsandresorts)
EDITORIAL TEAM
Editor in Chief: Queen Semana (@queensemana)
Managing Editor: Karen Baguhin (@itskaren.b)
Art Director: Karen Nequinto (@thekareninie)
Web Director: Raymond Granale (@rymndgrnl)
Editorial Assistant: Raine Riego (@raineriego)
SPECIAL THANKS TO : Emil Po (lime_888), Benny Jarloc(@bjarloc), Dan Mejia(@dancmejia), May Cabalit (@maycabalit) and John Umali
