Binibini 33 Leonalyn dela Cruz asks the public to be more constructive in their criticisms

So now, I turn the spotlight on Binibini 33 Leonalyn dela Cruz:

…Joining Bb. Pilipinas is my dream since i was a child and it’s included in my 5-year plan which looks like this:
2012- i will graduate and pass the board
2013-i will work in an auditing firm
2014- i will join a pageant and have my mba
2015- i will transfer to a good company
2016- i take law.

I actually fulfilled it:
I passed the board and had a 90% average (almost 1% difference sa top 1) and was employed the day after the release in an auditing firm. I took my MBA and joined Bbp2014.

Leona by Joy Arguil

Bb. Pilipinas was my 1st pageant after the last one I joined when i was only 17 years old. I was focused on my studies and being a student leader during college. The beauty pageant taught me that being beautiful is not enough. You should have something inside. Also, I cannot afford the expenses. My parents are separated and i’m the eldest of four. I am the breadwinner of the family. I juggled work in a call center before and some random modeling stints plus the financial help of my aunt to study. Nung nakapagtrabaho na ko, sabi ko sali na ko ng Binibini. Haha. My first time was crazy. I didn’t know na grabe pala ang pageant fans. Lahat ng girls “contesera” na. May mga camps and everything. I took it lightly. I wasn’t prepared. Prepared in a way that pag sa Binibini, maraming opinion tungkol sa yo and you need to discern what can help you and what cannot.

Leona (right) with Binibini 31 Kylie Verzosa

I understand that people are entitled to give their own opinions. And i would like to take this opportunity – dahil alam ko na maraming nagbabasa ng blog mo tito norms – na sana we all learn to give constructive criticisms. Mahirap kasi sa mga girls yun. You don’t know that other girls take negative comments so deeply that it can destroy them. And so in life, we should be careful with our words.

During Bbp2014, all of us were super close that i really forgot that it was a competition. I forgot why i joined in the first place.

Bbp2016 is totally different. Screening pa lang back in 2014 – if i remembered well – it went on for 2 weeks at pinabalik kami ng 5 times yata. 2016 was just a one day screening. I remembered there were two girls who were delisted because of height issue in 2014. Now there are 5 for the same reason and another 2 because of some conflict with the pageant rules and regulations.

Leona by Joy Arguil

Alam mo, tito norms nung bata pa ko, binibini fan na ko. One Sunday night every year on gma-7 and pinapanood ko yun. Bb. candidate never fail to amaze me kasi ang sosyal, magaganda, matatalino…sabi ko sana maging ganun ako paglaki ko.. Naging big influence sila sa akin talaga. Knowing that I’m from a broken family, sila yung image na ni-look up to ko plus the influence ng iba’t-ibang taong nakilala ko.. Now, I’m enjoying the moment and at the same time, i always remember what i’m here for. I’m not only after one of the crowns, but genuinely want to be an advocate for youth and women esecially moms who raised their family alone. I hope to share my business knowledge with them. I wanted to inspire youth like how i was inspired by bbp when i was a child. I hope God will help me sa gusto kong mangyari or God will lead me to the right way through this.

  
Binibini 33 Leonalyn dela Cruz. I concur that she has improved a lot from 2014. She is now more prepared and better equipped to handle the demands of Bb. Pilipinas.

What’s your assessment of her, dear readers? 🙂