In Conversation: Gloria Diaz and Margie Moran on what it means to be a Filipina beauty queen

GD: Yes! The role of beauty pageants, according to two super lola beauty queens. I have seven grandchildren. How about you? 

MMF: Two, going on three. But people still remember us as being Miss Universe.

GD: Oh, I make sure that I remind them! (laughs) But I’m happy to see so many beauty pageants now. I just judged in one, Miss International. It’s so different now; they treat it as a real career. During our time, it was just... “Okay, I’ll join” kind of thing. I joined at 18, that was my first time putting on eyebrows and wearing high heels. It was pure guts!

MMF: I was 19, just after high school.  I even heard one candidate was 30.

GD: Oh my god! By 30, you should be pregnant and have already gone through two husbands and all that! (laughs) 

MMF: Offhand, I agree that it’s already become a career, a stepping stone and a platform to present advocacies. Only the ones who win international contests, I think, have an advocacy role.

GD: No, everybody has one. But nothing practical, like advocating for throwing garbage in the right place and stuff. What was yours?

MMF: I cannot remember! (laughs) I don’t think I had one. Still, our title was a platform for being a role model and a good advocate. Whatever I did, I was and still am known as Miss Universe. So, every time I was interviewed, I would say all these intelligent things I was doing, but in the end, the takeaway would still go back to Miss Universe.

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GD: As a Miss Universe, or Miss Philippines, do you feel an obligation to behave well, be a symbol of elegance or be the model Filipino woman?

MMF: I feel that. Even if I just want to be in my shorts and my tsinelas, I still feel that I have to somehow project myself as somebody who’s good and kind.

GD: Now I behave myself even more, because everybody has a camera. (laughs). The crown, until today, has placed a heavy responsibility on the wearer. 

MMF: The Filipinas today are more educated; you see more engineers; they’re into technology, construction. 

GD: And they’re more reliable. They have fewer vices.

MMF: They’re good in relationships, community development and leadership. 

GD: Yes, even in offices, you can really rely on them. Well, but it seems that there are more corporate leaders than men, right? 

MMF: There are a few, and women CEOs are increasing in number, but there are still many who don’t reach the top because they retire.

GD: Get married, have children.

MMF: Women are also peacemakers. Especially Filipinas. If something goes wrong in their community, if there’s conflict, they rally the families together.

GD: Yes. But how come they say that women are too volatile? I don’t think so. For example, in many municipalities I know, the mayor’s right-hand is most likely a woman.

MMF: There was a time nobody could imagine women being the boss.  I remember going to school, my mother made me take secretarial work because that was our role. To be subservient to the boss.

GD: I did that too! I know shorthand. I can type too. At 17, during the summer, my mother said I had to go to work. Okay, so I worked in this company, and I was the secretary of the secretary’s secretary. I would bring all my magazines to work and then read the time away. And then at 10:00, somebody would invite me for merienda. At 11:30, I’d go home to eat, and come back at 1:00. At 3:00, I'd go down again for merienda. After two weeks, I asked my boss if I could have an advance, which he gave. After three weeks, I won Miss Philippines.

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MMF: Speaking of lolas, how do you age gracefully?

GD: I’m only a good lola for one hour. I’m not the doting lola who can be expected to take care of the baby all the time. But ageing gracefully is like accepting that sometimes you need to be with somebody, you need friends to go out with. A few friends. That’s enough.

MMF: For my ageing process, I follow my four F’s. First is faith. As I grow older, my faith becomes stronger.

GD: It also makes a difference if you have children who will help you age gracefully.

MMF: That’s my next F. My family. Because it’s the family that will love you, love you the most. Unconditionally.

GD: That’s the word, unconditionally. My children are too careful with me. Like when my daughter creeps into my room, and I can hear the door open anyway, and she says to somebody, “Don’t wake her up.” I always shout back, “I’m awake!” But it’s nice that my children care. I’m also lucky that my daughters have good husbands.

MMF: I’m [also] lucky with my sons-in-law.

GD: I think that’s what ageing is about. Being happy for our children. And hoping that they will survive as you did. And happy for our grandchildren too. That’s ageing.

MMF: My next F is, like you said, friends. A few friends you can trust. Friends who will be there when you grow older and get sick.

GD: Am I your friend?

MMF: I think so!

GD: Fortunately, I have a special friend who’s ageing together with me. Thank God, he’s ageing faster!

MMF: Anyway, my last F is fitness. And sleeping is the number one rule of fitness. At our age, we need at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep.

GD: Ironically, sleeping is something that’s a little difficult if you have no fitness, no friends, no faith.
MMF: That’s true. Four Fs. What about the fifth F? Can you guess? I can’t tell you because I don’t have a fifth. What I can add to my four Fs, though, is that at our age we also have to stay alert at all times and maintain good cognitive function through reading, meditation, proper breathing, and prayer. It still falls under Fitness, mental fitness.

GD: These days, when I look on YouTube, I always gravitate toward exercises for balance, which is most important to us now. To walk backwards, sideways, and stuff like that. I cannot believe I’m 76 years old!

MMF: I’m 72, turning 73. I asked my mother once how old she is. She said, “Between 69 and death.” She’s 99 now.

GD: What else can I not do anymore? I can’t wear high heels anymore. Well, I haven’t worn one for 100 years, but it looks great when you’re crossing your legs, right? Margie, can you still ride horses?

MMF: Not anymore. I can’t even get up on the horse.

GD: But what do you do in between? To relax?

MMF: Well, I sit on the board of several organisations.

GD: That’s not relaxing! That’s work! Do you garden?

MMF: A little because I only live in a condo here. In Davao and at my beach house in Batangas, I supervise my staff with gardening. I don’t do the planting myself.

GD: Me too. I just give directions. Like in the kitchen. I do not like going in there because my hair will smell. So, from the door, I’d shout out my instructions: “Put a little more salt”; “Tenderise the meat more”; Dice the onions a bit smaller”. But I enjoy fixing my room.

MMF: How do you eat?

GD: I try my best to eat healthy. But my partner is always into Korean food, all meat. And when you are older, you have to avoid meat but eat vegetables, fish and salad.

MMF: I eat small portions. I only have soup at night, and I eat more of it at lunchtime or breakfast.

GD: I eat only once, at breakfast. If I eat at night, I wouldn’t be able to go to sleep because I’d be feeling full. Do you take magnesium? Virgin coconut oil?

MMF: Yes. I take magnesium and virgin coconut oil.

GD: Margie, we do the same things! Can I live with you? (laugh). By the way, happy anniversary to Tatler’s 25th! Oh my God. I could not imagine that it’s already been 25 years!

MMF: And they survived the pandemic.

GD: Why, what was Tatler doing during Covid?

MMF: Because a lot of magazines closed down, but Tatler stayed on, without missing an issue. It stayed strong. Thanks to Anton San Diego.

GD: Yes, Anton. The power behind, in front, on the side, on the left.

MMF: You know why? Because his spirit is very strong. And, I prayed for him during the pandemic.

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