Miss Universe 2013 visits Coron for MU Relief Foundation

For those who have followed my steps and passion for charity, you know that #Philippines is very close to my heart and soul for so many reasons 💛🇵🇭
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I’m honored and grateful to be back in your lovely country one more time. Thank you for the warm welcoming, for the love and the good memories. Salamat Po (Photo: @gabrielaisler/Instagram)

Venezuelan Gabriela Isler, also known as Miss Universe 2013, continues her visit to the Philippines, stopping by Coron to help with the Miss Universe Relief Foundation, which she had founded during her reign.

The Miss Universe Instagram account initially posted a photo of Gabriela with the locals, quoting her saying, “That first visit to Coron helped me appreciate, transform, and realize my role in helping others through charity.” The organization adds their involvement with the Cordaid foundation, saying, “With the support from Isler’s foundation, Cordaid has helped improve water and environmental management, by piping spring water to tap stands throughout the village and by protecting the springs, among many other activities.”

Coron was one of the first destinations that Gabriela visited right after she was crowned five years ago, which is around the same time that supertyphoon Haiyan occurred. During the time, she had raised $250,000 for those devastated by the storm.

At Gabriela’s media briefing last Friday, January 25 at Novotel Manila Araneta Center, she shares that her return to the Philippines was really to check on the indigenous communities of Coron, saying, “The people there are more conscious of tourism and are more aware of the ecosystem. “I was clueless in where my reign was leading, and the visit to Coron made me realize what I wanted to do.” In the same press conference, she spoke about the condition of her own country, “After 20 years, we have a new president. This is like a dream, so surreal. After 20 years, we have hope again. For so long, we have been struggling with our dignity, with our rights, with free-er country, with the lack of opportunities, lack of food, lack of medication,” she reports, adding, “This new president, he is not appointed, as president can be appointed. This one was following our Constitution. We hope for a national congress and this congress now has the power among with this new president to lead our country into democracy.”

Gabriela also revealed that during her stay in the Philippines, she will be exploring showbusiness through her manager for Asia and the Pacific, Arnold Vegafria.

The five-foot-eleven thirty year-old won the prestigious Miss Universe title back in 2013 in Moscow, Russia, besting out Philippines’ bet Ariella Arida, who finished third runner-up.