Pia Wurtzbach recalls 'awkward phase,' being bullied in the past
NO TO BULLYING. Photo shows Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach during her homecoming in Manila. Pia went to Canada, where she talked about her experience being bullied before a group of students. File photo by Rob Reyes/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Even Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach faced bullies in her past – a painful experience she's now using to inspire and encourage others. In a forum with students of the International Language Academy of Canada this week, Pia Wurtzbach shared her experiences about being bullied before joining the pageant.
In an interview with ABS-CBN, Pia talked about her experiences while she was growing up in Cagayan de Oro, starting in showbiz, and while working in England.
"I experienced bullying in different forms. I experienced it in school. I felt like I was the odd one out growing up in the province because I was half-Filipino and half-German, so I wasn't full-blooded Filipina and of course I was the tallest in my class and I felt kind of awkward. I went through an awkward phase and even when I was an actress, there was a lot of scrutiny there as well," she said.
Cyberbullying is a real issue that must be addressed, she said, and everyone must work together to stop it.
"What we need here and the rest of the world is a change of values…to accept our differences. That is a fact of life. And the more we become accepting, the more we become tolerant. And the more we care," she said at the event.
Those who attended her talk praised her for being an inspiration to others. A fundraiser dinner for the Sick Kids Foundation followed after the event and also met with the Consulate General of Canada.
Aside from the anti-bullying talk, Pia was also in Canada as guest of the Miss Universe Canada organization. She was met by Miss Universe Canada 2015 Paola Nuñez Valdez, where she met the candidates of Miss Universe Canada.
Prior to her Canada trip, Pia also went to the Aid for Aids event in New York which is one of her advocacies as Miss Universe. Pia is an advocate for HIV awareness.
– Rappler.com
