#Updated by normannorman.com – This is the exclusive monthly blog series I have been planning to launch since last year. But due to numerous engagements and commitments outside of blogging, I never got to focus on it yet. Until the arrival of #COVID19 and the ECQ, that is. The #StayHome #SaveLives commitment gave me the time to do it in between the throwback blogs I upload daily since the quarantine started more than a month ago today.
So for the first subject of #Updated, I “patiently pursued” Lia Andrea Ramos to answer my questions. You all know her as our Bb. Pilipinas Universe who represented the country in Los Angeles for Miss Universe 2006 where she won the Miss Photogenic special award. From Beauty Queen-to-Businesswoman-to-Wife-and-Mother, she is now the Charity and Women Empowerment Director of Miss Universe Philippines.
Let’s jump right in to the interview now.
How are you spending the days and night under ECQ at home?
“I just started running our ecommerce platform this week since the ECQ has been implemented and it has been quite overwhelming without my team in place and had to find my rhythm. We live in crazy and uncertain times!”
Lian and daughter Kiara: multi-tasking at its best – being a mom and single-handedly running the E-commerce platform of her business.
<a href=”https://www.facebook.com/GlamourboxPH/” Click above to know more about GlamourBox
For the sake of our readers who may still be unaware of your business, can you tell us about it?
“I’m currently the CEO and Co-Founder of Glamourbox, a multi-channel retailer and exclusive distributor of niche and indie beauty brands. We manage and distribute skincare and makeup brands namely Pixi, Ofra Cosmetics, Yadah and Pop Beauty. We started the company in November 2012 as a purely e-commerce platform curating beauty boxes and our business evolved into a distribution business bringing in brands that are fresh, innovative, effective and accessible. Our exclusive brands are now present in 3 key locations of SM Beauty Dept Stores as well as in 5 major online platforms.”
Lia with husband Kevin Moss and daughter Kiara
People always call you Lia Andrea Ramos or Lia Ramos. But since getting married years back, you are officially Lia Andrea Ramos-Moss. Tell us about your husband Kevin and the little bundle of joy.
“Married life is wonderful! I met my husband in 2011 through a common friend and we hit it off instantly. He is from Huntington Beach, CA but we met here in Manila and he has lived here for over 11 years (and totally Pinoy at heart!). We got married in late 2015 and had our first child last year. Kiara is now 9 months and she is the joy of our lives. I think we have been waiting to be parents for a while that when we had her we just embraced it fully and it felt very natural to us.”
Your blogger with Lia Ramos during the launch of Miss Universe Philippines last January, 2020
Now let’s go to Miss Universe Philippines. How exactly did you get to become one of the pillars?
“When Jonas (Gaffud) called me to ask if I was interested in the role to head Charity and Women Empowerment, I honestly had to ponder on it. Between running a business and just becoming a new mom, I wasn’t sure if I could manage the role. Jonas assured me that we will work as a team, and that we will have an exciting opportunity to implement a meaningful program and really make a difference. When I found out who I will be working with aside from Jonas, like Shamcey, Tito Albert, and Tito Nad, it also got me excited. I knew that the rest of the pillars are brilliant and passionate people and together we can really bring a fresh take to pageantry.”
Why did you get the Charity and Women Empowerment role?
“One of the reasons why Jonas thought of me is because when I joined the pageant in 2006, I was working at The Asia Foundation then. Development work has always had a soft spot in my heart and I am happy to be one of the mentors of the MUPh candidates. It’s an honor to work with them in helping them find and push for their advocacies and empowering them to become leaders in their own right.”
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Lia. Anything you’d like to add?
“Thanks again for your support to the organization. The coming months will be a challenge but we hope to come out stronger and more innovative.”
Please keep me #Updated as well.
“Hope I answered all your questions! Let me know if there is anything else. By the way, I enjoyed watching your short interviews with the MUPh candidates during the launch. You know how to bring out their personalities.”
Below is a quick video greeting and message to the readers of normannorman.com from Lia herself.
Watch out for the next feature on #Updated by normannorman.com for the month of May!
Teka teka lang! San sa HB, Ca si hubby? eh taga dito rin ako, di kaya sya yung na meet ko dati.. hahahahha char!
I always look forward to entries by Claire ( because I learn a lot of info from her ) and Flor ( because she’s fun and humble .. even though sometimes I have to re-read her posts multiple x to understand it ) . I also like 4m because he’s straight forward with no literary pretense .
I hate those self-proclaimed experts in the English language ( oh by the way I donot have any accent at all .. ) why don’t u let others do the talking for you ? The nerve .
Hi Fabbie!!! Hope you’re staying well! hihihih
She is more beautiful in person. Her husband is so gwapo and charming.
I re-read the text and looked at her pics and videos again
I am really mad this girl got snubbed big time at MU
I can’t watch her walk down the stairs to receive her award for photogenic. Knowing it was a fan vote
I really believed that with a top 20 , she will certainly be up there …. totally sayang that year … ( there were other noticeable snubs too like Australia , Finland , SriLanka but happy to see up there making the top 20 for Argentina , Ethiopia , Hungary ) Thailand questionable … should have been Lia instead
She’s so beautiful and her hubby is a cutie too…hihhihihihi
If she was sent to MU in this era then I can see a top 5 finish as well.
She is more beautiful in person. Her husband is so gwapo and charming.
Tito Norman, baka mag speculate si pabyana kung sino and 2 “clean” na yan. Gawin pa nya unclean. Alam mo naman ang haliparot na yan.
Lia may not have gotten the MU crown on her head, but she definitely won the essence of the MU crown on her whole being! The former is relinquished to a successor a year after; the latter stays with her for the rest of her life. A person with a soft spot for development work would always have a genuine interest in empowering people and capacity building in communities. Her role as Women Empowerment Head of MUP is cut out for her. I’m sure she measures up to the challenges of post-coronavirus pageantry, where adapting to the new normal and/or reinventing business models is the key to survival.
Wow. Feel free Madam. You can’t continue fooling yourself that you are still objective. Your actions speak. Sad sad sad. But there is still hope.
she has fine bone structure and those cheekbones!
and she exudes warmth and charm
Omedatou gozaimasu, Tinio San!
Your inaugural #Update post is a BLAST. Guerra na naman ang mga vhaks. Traffic galore.
WordPress will be SO HAPPY. Kunbanwa. 🙂
#Updated.
Kung natrain at naayusan lang siya ng mga pageant camps natin ngayong dekadang ito, malamang nakapasok siya sa semis. Yung ganda niya parang kay Janine T. May ibubuga pa.
i agree with u.. ito yung dark era natin na kulang as training at namamayagpag si Alfredo Bazura. Pinapadala mga rep natin sa kolombya para idismantle
I will not talk about my my Karehiyon Lian Andrea Ramos in this post. Rather I would like to share with you SOME of the HIGHLIGHTS in last night’s CNA DOCUMENTARY on the DARK SIDE of pageantry in the Philippines. Although I found the documentary A BIT ONE SIDED because a number of LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS (BPP & ME) were not GIVEN the opportunity to AIR THEIR SIDE, STILL it is worth sharing. HERE THEY ARE –
1. A regular male pageant contestant revealed that ONLY 2 OUT of (or every) 10 male pageants in the country are CLEAN. Ibig sabihin, the remaining 8 pageants have lots of KALOKOHAN between the CONTESTANTS and the JUDGES/SPONSORS and/or the ORGANIZERS.
2. Another male contestant admitted having resorted to some kind of ‘ONLINE PROSTITUTION’ for him to fund/support his preparation and other necessities for the pageants.
3. JANINA SAN MIGUEL is BACK. She talked once again the unfair treatment she got (as well as her family members) from BPP up to her unfortunate dethronement. She also shared the INDECENT PROPOSALS offered to her amounting to 3 million & 25 million, respectively. What a BIG business!
4. The 2018 Miss Earth sexual harassment allegations also resurfaced. Miss Canada (again) shared her SH story & experiences through online interview. Another bad publicity not only for Miss Earth but for the Philippines as well.
5. The documentary as well discussed the sad [mother-daughter situation] story and the [continuing] beauty pageant journey of MERCEDES PAIR. Sana may makatulong na NGO at maykayang indibidwal sa sitwasyon ng nanay niya. Gusto ko na tuloy siyang manalo. Other KF girls features were Patrizia Garcia and Honey Bee Parrenas. Of course RODGIL FLORES was also seen in a number of scenes and also interviewed.
6. Sa simula pa lang may mga senyales na. Mauungkat kaya in the near future those not so pleasant stories of various adventures (& misadventures) with [different] women. Abangan…
7. Prof. WENDELL CAPILI provided the ‘academic commentary’ on Philippine pageantry. Ano masabi mo dito Ms. Flor Tula? And a Gabriela member shared her critical insights concerning the issues and problems faced by Filipino women in general, and in beauty pageants in particular.
Yun na.
I can easily name the 2 “clean” national male pageants – but for the sake of good vibes amidst this crisis, I will keep it to myself first.
Tito Norman, baka mag speculate si pabyana kung sino and 2 “clean” na yan. Gawin pa nya unclean. Alam mo naman ang haliparot na yan.
Oh my haha
Tito Norman , ikaw talaga
Napanood naman ng karamihan sa mga commenters dito yung CNA documentary na yan which means most of us know, kaya kay Lia Ramos-Moss na lang tayo mag-focus. Tama ang sabi ng marami na mas lalo syang gumanda ngayon. Siguro yun ang nagagawa ng healthy relationship with husband kaya happy married life nya.
Yun na😃
@ Pierro Rocco YAWA! Shout-out me pa more, ‘Pre? Ganern? HAHAAHA…. Para naman’g may kagagawan ako sa lahat ng nangyari. 🙂
I have not seen that documentary, but I think I know who that guy referred to in #1 is.
So, BAD pala na hilingin ko na bigyan ng sarili’ng tse-kot si CV dahil lamang ay hawig niya si TA?
Patrizia Garcia, I can imagine as one of the two (2) KF girls getting a crown. Then, it will be 2 & 1, for a total of 5. Will it be 2 A&Q’s and 1 independent, or vice versa? Abangan….
Since this post is about Mdme. LARM’s role as Empowerment guru, I will repeat what @ scorg said before – PAGEANTRY IS NOT BIG IN PARTS OF THE WORLD WHERE WOMEN ARE GAINFULLY EMPLOYED OR ARE NOT LACKING IN VIABLE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES. That’s IT, right there! Problem with our country right now is we have been left behind in so many areas that only consumption really drives the economy. This kind of activity only generates so much good jobs. Education is not a hindrance, here. Our women are are quite bright and excel where their stars align for them. We had, have, and stand to have even more women bosses. Will exporting labor – OFW’s – remain the only lucrative option for mothers, daughters, and aunts?
SHOUT-OUT to Filipina head nurses, to “yaya’s” to royal families, and sultry Pinay lead vocalists of cover bands entertaining at bars in hotels and ships EVERYWHERE. WERPA kayo, mga ses!!!
@Flor, what I mentioned then was the finding of a scholarly study that indicates that interest in beauty contests is very low in countries where there is high degree of economic freedom afforded to women. That explains the lukewarm participation of West Europeans in their local/national contests, save from immigrants and marginalized sectors in their respective societies.
Bakit IKAW LAGI FLOR? Kasi someone commented in this blog site before THAT YOU ARE THE YARDSTICK/BENCHMARK (along with Scorg) in the QUALITY of the POSTS. DAPAT DAW PAG NAG-POST ng mga COMMENT, DAPAT kasing galing DAW ng mga sinusulat NINYO. He, he, he… By the way, CSSP ka di ba Flor at School of Economics si Scorg? Yun na!
@Pierro Rocco, you forgot to mention Ana Winter and Roi. @Flor is always the happy-go-lucky horsing-around commenter but with a definite depth and subtle punch.
In the case of Janina San Miguel, I think, the judges made a huge mistake in choosing her as BB Pilipinas-World. She maybe one of the prettiest physically, but her answer to the judge’s question negated every positive thing about her. It was really off. Hindi ko talaga maisip bakit siya nanalo. Sandra Lemonon did it better when she had nothing to answer to judge’s question. For me, Danielle Castano was robbed of the crown.
@ Serge Sir, if you look again at @ Pierro Rocco’s initial comment, there’s the reason. 🙂
I hope the #Updated series will feature beauty queens who continue to impact Filipinos to this day. I hope to be updated on our authentic beauty queens, those who inspire confidence in good times and brings out empowering character in bad times, those whose life and work are testaments to the continuing fight against all forms of life’s ugliness.
Let it be a challenge for me, scorg
Mahirap mag start ng business from scratch! Kailangan at the same time passionate ka sa ginagawa mo otherwise it will be very frustrating! I wonder if that coffee shop also belongs to her?
I have my own experience for that!
For her to be able to lift off the ground yung concept ng business and execute and make it profitable is indeed empowering!
The mere fact na yung beauty product niya is “niche” and “indie” mahirap maka-source ng supplier na katiwa-tiwala yung brand, much more to market the product considering na may mga direct seller like Avon and Sarah Lee on the competition! Add mo pa yung mga global brand like Max Factor, Covergirl, etc.!
Pero wow ha! De calibre mga defenders niya ha! May na sopla na rin Jonas na commenter sa IG nung bin-bash ‘tong si Lia!
Oh evil Jonas? LOL. Sayang si bakla. From good to evil. Kinain na ng sistema.
Gandang ganda ako s knya…lalo na ngayon. Pinay na pinay with class and bearing…sorry but 2006 BBP,cya lng ang stand out tlg right from the very start. I don’t know what happened during her MU stint, but when she received the miss photogenic award she was gorgeous! Hehe. Dpat sinama pla ako s MUP board as a UP alumna too!!😊 she looks happy inside and out
I think there was something wrong the way she was styled during miss universe. It seems keeping her hair untied is better for her. Look at her in her pic with Norman, she is so much prettier in that photograph as compared to that pic when she received the Miss photogenic award and when she was crowned bb Pilipinas.
Serge, she would have looked so much better with a little more weight perhaps? And the improved styling, I agree. 🙂
Agree Serge!😊
There was something wrong also with her make-up during miss universe. Parang Hindi na highlight ang kanyang facial beauty.
She is getting prettier as she ages.
Lahat ng sumusuporta sa MUP at ibig tumulong sa ikalalawig nito sa bansa, BILI na sa Glamor Box at du’n sa online clothing store ni Mdme. SSL! 🙂
That’s a sampling of the product range, on the workstation….
Nice to look for ones that can support SME’s and companies that go the extra mile in terms of reduced packaging (to reduce trash).
Naalala ko tuloy ‘yung lipstick line ni Jojo Bragais. Cortesi even became an endorser.
Mr. Tinio, I wish to take this opportunity to confirm STRAIGHT from Ms. Ramos-Moss that she had taken on THREE (3) franchise slots for MUP. In other words, she has fielded three (3) candidates.
Sino-sino po, sila, Mdme. LARM?
Parang The Camp. Tatlo din ang manok…..
Can we ask for next time a normannorman.com exclusive on those ” LARM angels”, Blogger Sir?
I doubt Lia would do anything like that . If she did , there would be some explaining to do
@ Fabian Reyes Wala naman’g masama du’n. Hindi naman nangangahuluga’ng may advantage agad ‘yung tatlo…. And as The Camp exemplifies, NO AP was inhibited from taking on more than one. One pageant luminary/manager took two (2) for MUP and fielded one (1) at BBP 2020. And he is NEITHER associated with MUP nor BPCI in any way. Malawak lang ang network niya….
Let me provide this analogy.
Board members of one elite hobby club organization normally took two to three booths EACH at their annual convention-expo. Of course when you do that, you get more exposure and thus business at the end of the day than the other exhibitors-vendors. But ALL get the SAME quality of services from the Secretariat and Event Planner. And it felt like FAMILY. 🙂
I remember we all got upset when PR won MW 2016 with the PR national director sitting in the judging panel .
I see it that way . …
What’s confusing me Is that … if the relationship w Lia and the 3 candidates is immaterial , what is the point of the question ? Pls educate me , Flor
@ Fabian Reyes Sorry for the late reply. Dishes needed washing…. 🙂
OK. Stefanie Del Valle’s case reminded me of Kevin Liliana allegedly winning because Dewi Sukarno sat in the MI 2017 Judging Panel. Did the latter also aid in thwarting Ahtisa and Patch? Never mind that the alleged Mikimoto curse hovered above Mariel (2017), that it was Mariem’s birthday and a third Asian crown in succession was perceived as awkward (2018), and the mangled translation of both Patch’s & Jolene’s speeches (2019).
I just thought full transparency and disclosure from the start would be appreciated by all. The identity of the AP’s were revealed in a post of the MUP organization, but it is not yet generally known who got which sash/es. I wonder if the AP of the winner will be “required” to treat his/her peers to “pastillas”, all in good fun. Like I said, it’s FAMILY.
Anyway, now that I think about it, those three slots might NOT necessarily apply at once. I now realize the possibility that perhaps the intent was for a 3-YEAR BUNDLE, meaning one candidate over three editions and not necessarily in succession so that Mdme. LARM would have the option on which years/editions to “participate”.
Surely, all will be known when the time is right. And ONLY here at normannorman.com.
three candidates over three editions. Sorry, all. 🙂
I agree, If this rumor is true. Being one of the organizers of MUP, she should inhibit from fielding candidates in the spirit of fairness.
You ask fairness from MUP? LOOOOOOLLLLLL. Sa laki ng pinondo nila, they have to recover it first. Kaya determined na ang winner diyan. They cant risk it. Also, with Jonas at the helm, hawak niya hanggang sa leeg what gagawin. Kaya ayaw nila sa mga independent and empowered women eh. It puts doubt to their mastery kuno ek ek of beauty pageants.
@ serge I can tell you that I saw the name of an MUP boss on that list, and it wasn’t Mdme. SSL, JG, MG, AA, or Atty. NB.
I do not feel any malice. It is not unusual for Board members to dig into their own (personal) pockets to help their start-up venture take off. After all, sino pa ang tutulong sa kanila kundi sari-sarili….
Kasi nga, mas marami pa sana ang sasali pero nag-beg-off dahil they first want to see how this inaugural edition would pan out…. and perhaps they were not prepared for the franchising, assumed libre sumali like sa BBP. The CoV19 pandemic did not help….
I had unloaded some reservations before about the way things are done, but this one I can take.
🙂
I bet Kiara will be a slap in the face of the MUO when she wins MU 2035 . Life is like a wheel. U can never let disappointments faze u .
I cannot believe Pinoys remained loyal to MU during those yrs our candidates were sorely ignored.
And I’m wondering :Did Pinoys make up the majority of the audience when MU was held in the US? Cold cold souls , those MUO people have .
Tito Norman, is her husband 100% Caucasian ? How did they meet ? What does he do for a living ?
Lia for me deserved to be in the top along with many others ignored by the MUO like Alagao Zorayda Balingit Licaros and Gianna.
Kevin Moss is American. I understand that he has work here.
Lol .. I can’t see with My glasses anymore . Most of the questions above were addressed during the interview . Sorry
Top 20 na nga, di pa rin nakapasok. HAHAHAHAHA.
Konting respeto naman kay Lia. There is a fine line between giving smart remarks and replies that are simply meant to write something smart-aleck to someone who may not be to your liking.
Wow , I have never heard Him react this way . Tito Norman , is that really u ? Hurrah !!!
Yes, Fabian. It’s just that Lia is also looking forward to what I did for her in this feature. I don’t want her to check it out and read something that sounds off or out of sync.
so what? for me what is important is she is doing fine with her life after her reign. not reaching top 20 does not define her.
respeto lang po.
Tito Norman👍
I agree with you on this, Norman. Thank you for your prompt reply. Just ban this person from commenting on this blog of yours. He clearly has double standards. It’s okay for him to make fun/criticize/belittle other people, except Catriona. He’s downright disrespectful.
It’s time Norman reacts to smart-alecks butting in to serious conversations about a remarkable woman. I always respect beauty queens with development work experience like Lia Ramos, Bianca Guidotti, with development studies background like Venus Raj, and with grassroots involvement like Maita Gomez and Nelia Sancho. These are the type of queens who would not think twice throwing away their stilettos, getting their feet wet and rolling up their sleeves in sincere desire to help people and communities. To me they are the authentic beauty queens, the empowered women ready and willing to fight all forms of life’s ugliness.
Eto na naman ang bias mo Tito Norms. Sa mga piling BQs lang nag-cocomment ng ganito. There were far more vile comments especially coming from Fabian, Vina Yu and others. But oh well. You cannot have it all.
Don’t goad me
Way to go , Tito Norman. !
Parang scene sa ‘ Bukas Luluhod ang mga Tala’
Diba Fabian? Imagine! You have Tito Norms support despite all your evil words. Look at what being affiliated makes you do or not do. 😏😏😏 #Integrity
C2f, my criticisms are constructive . I believe in redemption . I point out what I don’t like abt the girls hoping the girls will come out better as beauty pageant candidates . If I see the girls have no future in pageantry , I say what I prefer to see them as .
You on the other hand are simply a meanie . U don’t give them a chance . U don’t like them ? U just want them to disappear off the face of the earth . … by shaming them .
Again , I don’t claim objectivity or expertise . I just say it as I see it .
Tse hihihi
@ CatrionaFan- Heto yung sinasabi nating boomerang effect. The Universal Law of Cause and Effect is always in action.
hahah bastos ang bunganga … mana sa ingrata nyang idol… pwe!
o ano asan na yung sangkatutak kuno na endorsements ek ek sa pinaka the best ng MU kuno.. hahahaha