The R-L Angel who goes by the name of Angelique Celine “Angee” de Leon used to be such a rough-and-tumble young lady who would rather hang out with the boys than play dolls and sweet stuff with the girls.

And then she grew up. Though still rugged in disposition, she became an advertising professional, dabbling in an assortment of tasks like copywriting and media servicing.

And then she bloomed. The minute she decided to give Bb. Pilipinas a go, she allowed herself to undergo full transformation. 180 degrees, if you will. What you see right now is the complete opposite of what she was a year ago. Even her fellow candidate and St. Paul batchmate Bianca Guidotti was amazed at how she has changed. For the better, of course.

Time now for her Q&A. Angee is such an expressive individual. You will see in her answers below the kind of thinker she is. And I bet you will be impressed.

1) What’s the best thing about being part of R-L Angels?

“One of the many advantages of being part of a relatively new and small camp is that the members of our team are solely focused on only honing two girls to become the best versions of themselves. RL’s Angels are built to withstand the entire competition. We are trained to become not only candidates but also future queens that will give the bigger camps a run for their money. The attention is equally divided and they see the potential and capability in both of us. Another advantage is that the camp knows how to play its cards. We have strategically presented ourselves to the public and to the panel through consistent branding and packaging. The third advantage is that people expect the least from our camp but the team makes sure that the ladies in the camp are promising and lives up to the expectations and keeps the people on their toes.”

2) How are you preparing yourself for all the pre-pageant activities where the top favorites and hyped contenders are always given the spotlight? How do you plan to stand out?

“Every candidate is beautiful in their own way, whether they’ve been constantly hyped or not. We’re all there because the panels saw something in us. The only thing that will set me apart from other candidates is my determination and willpower. I may not be the tallest, most beautiful or sexiest candidate, but I have been trained and developed to break stereotypes and to work hard. I make it a point that I’m always a surprise to other people.”

3. Do you believe that good luck (or the lack of it) plays an important role in winning a pageant?

“I believe in luck whether it’s good or bad but I don’t rely on it or blame it for my downfalls. I rely on my determination. I depend on myself and on what I’m capable of doing. I once doubted myself when people kept imposing on me to join Bb. Pilipinas because I was 170lbs back then. I actually thought they were being sarcastic but to my surprise, they were actually sincere in saying those things. They saw something in me that I refused to believe. I realized that I wanted to see what they saw so I started losing some weight. Thus, I’m now an official candidate of Binibining Pilipinas 2014 and I’m very thankful for the opportunity. Luck may have contributed something but I know I worked hard to get this. We can actually control our own luck.”

The girl is like a fire-breathing dragon, don’t you think so? But in a way that will melt icebergs. She is not about to let the chance to shine in the pageant pass by without leaving a trail of distraction. Yes, distraction from the early favorites. Because once she gets your attention, there’s no way of letting up. Not one bit.

Keep a watchful eye on Angee. She plans to take the competition seriously. Very seriously, I may add. 😉