Beauty queen tells body shamers: Respect, accept, and celebrate

By ROBERT R. REQUINTINA

ZARA Carbonell, who will represent the country at the Miss Tourism Worldwide 2018 pageant in Indonesia on Sept. 9, has one message to body shamers: respect, accept and celebrate.

“Everybody is worth re­specting and celebrating. In­stead of putting our energy in putting other people down, we should focus on celebrat­ing every end of our body so that we can accept and respect everyone else,” says Zara during the press send-off for the international pageant in Makati City, Tuesday.

Joining Zara at the send-off party were her parents, her brother Wind, grandmother Zeny, relatives, and close friends.

Asked if her pageant come­back was in preparation for bigger national pageants, Zara says: “I haven’t thought that far. But I am not closing any doors as to any opportu­nities that wil come.”

The daughter of actor Cris Villanueva and former fashion model-turned-businesswom­an Zharine Marie Carbonell finished second runner-up at the Miss World Philip­pines 2017 pag­eant.

Zara fin­ished Orga­nizational Commu­nication at De La Salle Uni­versity.

Her career as a beauty queen started when she joined Bb. Colegio San Agustin-Makati where she won several awards and became one of the semifinalists. Then she won the titles Miss Teenager Universe-Philippines and World Miss University-Philippines.

Zara was chosen by national director Derek Balois Padrilan to be the country’s delegate to the in­augural international competition.