IRA PATRICIA MALALUAN

Age: 25
Height: 5 feet 7 inches
Measurements: 36 inches - 23 inches - 36 inches
Occupation/Education: Podcast Host and Content Creator

Describe your childhood/growing up years (8-13 years old):
I CAME FROM A HOUSEHOLD WHO EXPERIENCED FOOD INSECURITY. I CAN STILL REMEMBER HOW MY MOM AND LOLA WILL BE MINDFUL OF HOW MUCH THEY WOULD EAT SO THAT THEY CAN ENSURE I CAN NOT ONLY EAT BUT ALSO BE FULL.

THIS MOTIVATED ME TO PLANT IN OUR BACKYARD SO WE CAN HAVE FOOD TO EAT. MY LOLA TAUGHT ME TO NOT ONLY PLANT BUT ALSO ON HOW TO TAKE CARE OF IT. SHE TOLD ME THAT GROWING PLANTS IS LIKE GROWING A BABY—TAKING CARE OF IT BY WATERING IT BASED ON HOW IT SHOULD BE WATERED AND WHISPERING INTO THAT EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE, GIVING IT REASSURANCE THAT IT IS WELL TAKEN CARE OF.

AND AS A LOLA’S GIRL, I AM PRIVILED TO LEARN ABOUT TAKING CARE OF THE ENVIRONMENT FROM HOME.

What lessons did you learn from your childhood/growing years?
IT WAS DURING MY CHILDHOOD YEARS, THAT I CAN SAY MY EYES GOT OPEN INTO THE REALITIES OF THIS WORLD THAT FORCED ME TO BE MATURED ENOUGH TO CONQUER THINGS.

THERE WAS THIS ONE TIME WHEN MY MOM AND I WERE IN THE SUPERMARKET TO GET ONE PIECE OF LUCKY ME PAYLESS THAT WE WILL HAVE TO DIVIDE INTO THE THREE OF US FOR THE THREE MEALS OF THE DAY. THAT TIME A SMALL BAR OF KITKAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION SO I ASKED MY MOM IF SHE COULD GET IT FOR ME BUT SHE GENTLY RESPONDED THAT IF SHE’LL BUY THE KITKAT BAR WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO BUY LUCKY ME PAYLESS AND WILL NOT BE ABLE TO EAT FOR A DAY. I CAN SEE HOW PAINFUL IT WAS FOR MY MOM TO SAY NO TO ME THAT DAY. FROM THERE, I TOLD MYSELF THAT I’LL STRIVE HARD SO WE WILL NEVER HAVE TO CHOOSE ON WHAT WE SHOULD EAT AND WHAT WE SHOULD BRING INTO OUR TABLE. AT A VERY YOUNG AGE, THE LESSON I HAVE LEARNED IS TO MAKE UP MY MIND THAT HARDSHIPS OF LIFE WILL NOT BREAK ME. IT WILL MAKE ME.

AT THE AGE OF 25, HERE I AM, STILL THRIVING, STILL CONQUERING AND STILL LIVING.

Most memorable moment:
MY FRIENDS WOULD ALWAYS TELL ME THAT I AM STRONG AND COMPOSED. THEY DID NOT KNOW THE STORMS I HAVE WENT THROUGH WHILE GROWING UP OR THE CONSTANT PUSHING OF MYSELF TO BECOME MATURED SO I CAN PARENT MY OWN SELF.

BUT WHEN THE PANDEMIC HITS THAT IS WHEN LIFE LEFT ME NO CHOICE BUT TO PAUSE AND DEAL MY UNHEALED PAST AND UNANSWERED QUESTIONS I HAVE WITH MY FATHER. IT WAS A LONG, HARD AND MESSY PROCESS. FROM FILLING THE SPACES IN MY HEART AND ANSWERING THE WHYS ON MY MIND THAT I TRIED TO ESCAPE THROUGH BUSYNESS, TO FINALLY ENCOUNTERING THE LIGHT THAT GAVE ME THE HEALING I NEED.

I REALIZED THAT IT WAS OKAY TO CONFRONT MY FEARS AND IT WAS SAFE FOR ME TO RIP OFF THAT BANDAGE THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY CAUSED ME PAIN.

Why do you want to be Miss Philippines Earth?
I CAN STILL VIVIDLY REMEMBER WHENEVER MY FRIENDS WOULD ASK ME WHICH CROWN I WANT TO HAVE, AND MY ANSWER WILL ALWAYS BE “I WANT A CROWN AND AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS ALIGNED TO MY PURPOSE IN LIFE; THE CROWN THAT WILL SYMBOLIZE MY INTENTIONS AND THE PURITY OF MY HEART.”

AS A PAGEANT FAN, I SAW HOW MISS PHILIPPINES EARTH ORGANIZATION STARTED AND BECAME A BUILDER, NOT JUST ABOUT ITS SEARCH FOR THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMEN FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE MUNICIPALITIES, BUT HOW THEY ARE CONTINUOUSLY BUILDING AN AWARENESS THAT WE SHOULD TAKE ACTION TO LIVE OUR OWN LIVES SYNCING WITH EARTH’S BREATHING.

I WANT TO BE THE MISS PHILIPPINES EARTH, NOT ONLY BECAUSE I WANT TO BE AN ADVOCATE OF OUR PLANET BUT ALSO TO BE THE REPRESENTATIVE OF A COMMUNITY SO THEY CAN BE SEEN AND HEARD FOR THE RIGHTS AND RELEVANCE THEY HAVE IN OUR WORLD.

What is your environmental advocacy and why did you choose this?
FROM THE DEPTHS OF MY EXPERIENCES, THE BEST WORDS THAT CAN DESCRIBE MY ADVOCACY IS SUSTAINABLE PLANTING FOR THE PEOPLE AND PLANET. THIS IS ABOUT SMART-FARMING THAT BENEFITS THE ENTIRETY: FARM WITH NATURE WHICH MEANS FARMING IN SYNC WITH THE EARTH’S BREATHING; FARM TO TABLE THIS ENSURES THAT WE CAN HAVE ENOUGH FOOD WITHOUT HURTING OUR PLANET AND LASTLY, FARM FOR THE FUTURE AS WE NEED NEXT GENERATION FARMERS AND INDIVIDUALS TO THRIVE TOGETHER.

MY ADVOCACY ADDRESSES THE KEY SDGS OF UNITED NATION SUCH AS:ZERO HUNGER (SDG 2), GOOD HEALTH AND WELL BEING (SDG 3) , CLEAN WATER AND LAND (SDG 15). CLIMATE ACTION (SDG 13, AND PARTNERSHIP FOR THE GOALS (SDG 17). THROUGH MY ADVOCACY, WE CAN PLANT A SEED OF FRIENDSHIP WHERE PEOPLE AND PLANET CAN WORK AND FLOURISH TOGETHER IN HARMONY.

What tip can you share to promote eco-tourism in your City or Municipality?
BATANGAS CITY IS MY HOME. THE GREEN CITY THAT IGNITED MY INNER POTENTIAL AND CHANGED MY LIFE, FROM AY-RA TO IRA.

IT IS KNOWN FOR ITS VIBRANT ECOTOURISM, RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE AND A WELCOMING HAVEN FOR TOURISTS, PRIVATE SECTORS, AND EDUCATIONAL ENDEAVORS ALIKE. ON TOP OF ALL THESE, IS ISLA VERDE—GEM OF BATANGAS TO US BUT THE CENTER OF CENTER OF MARINE BIODIVERSITY.

AS AN ADVOCATE FOR THE PEOPLE AND THE PLANET, FOR ECO TOURISM TO SUCCEED, EFFORTS SHOULD NOT ONLY BE FOCUSED ON PROMOTING IT TO TOURISTS AND INVESTORS BUT ALSO TO THE PEOPLE OF ISLA VERDE.

FOR THESE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN LIVING IN ISLA THEIR WHOLE LIFE, THEY NEED TO SEE ISLA VERDE FROM A NEW PERSPECTIVE THAT WAY, THEY CAN BUILD A SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION AND SYSTEM TO ENSURE ISLA VERDE WILL BE WELL PRESERVED LIKE HOW THEY WOULD TO THEIR OWN HOMES.

FOR AFTER ALL, BATANGAS IS MORE THAN A PLACE BUT IT IS A HOME. NO ONE CAN TAKE BETTER OF ISLA VERDE THAN US, THE INHABITANTS? LET ISLA VERDE BE KNOWN NOT ONLY FOR BEING THE CENTER OF CENTER OF MARINE BIODIVERSITY BUT TO BE THE ISLAND THAT IS WELL TAKEN CARE OF