Hindi daw alam ni Binibining Pilipinas 2013 Ariella Arida kung paano niya naitawid ang BS. Chemistry course niya sa UP Los Baños noong araw.
Nag-loosen up daw kasi siya noong college, as opposed to her elementary and high school days na grade conscious siya.
At nagamit niya naman ang course niya as right after, she worked at a company supplying raw materials for food companies.
“I worked with mga R&D (research and development department) ng mga food companies especially pag meron silang mga product development.”
Although college palang daw siya, she was already being scouted to join beauty pageants. Ayaw lang siyang payagan ng parents niya. But her beki mentors patiently waited.
Una siyang sinalang sa Binibining Laguna in 2011. She lost. Her mentor-turned friends, didn’t give up. Sinali naman siya sa Miss Earth Philippines and she lost again.
At dahil nakatuntong na rin lang sa national level ng pageantry, pinasubok na rin siya sa Binibining Pilipinas. Ayaw na niya, initially.
“Sabi ko, baka hindi para sa akin ang pageant world.”
But she asked for and sign and she received it. Thus, she tried. This time, she didn’t just win—she won big! The main title itself, Binibining Pilipinas-Universe. And she represented PH in the Miss Universe pageant in Russia.
“Buti nalang sinunod ko ’yong sign kasi grabe naman ’yong naging kapalit.”
More than her experience in Russia, mas tumatak kay Ara ang pinagdaanang training as her most memorable in her beauty-pageant journey.
“Especially ’yong diet,” natatawang pagre-recall niya. “Kasi ano ako, e, I’m what you call skinny fat...’yong ang liit ng arms and legs pero sa tiyan, ang hirap paliitin. So, ano ako noon, no carbs, no sweets, no salt. Steamed lahat nang kinakain ko.
“Hindi ko akalain na kakayanin ko. Kaya pag dating ko sa Russia, in-enjoy ko lang. Sabi ko, wala naman sila [trainors]. Hahaha!”
But looking back, she remembers herself as the candidate na “under the radar.” Wala daw siyang strong following at hindi siya favorite. Kaya ginulat niya lahat dahil iba ang nakita expert eyes ng judges sa kanya.
Pero kung hindi raw naibigay sa kanya ang korona. Last try na niya ’yon, Hindi daw siya mag-a-ala Pia Wurtzbach an hindi tumigil until she brought home the crown.
“Hindi pa ako nag-resign sa work ko noon, kasi sabi ko, para may fall back ako sakaling hindi ako manalo.
“Ang goal ko noon, [pumasok sa] Top 15. Masayang-masaya na ako noon kasi to think, Binibining Laguna saka Miss Earth nga, hindi ko nalusutan. So, kumbaga ’yong Top 15, sobrang laking achievement.”
But fate had other plans.
Then as now, kalmado lang talaga ang personality ni Ara. She’s not the kind to put too much pressure on herself. In fact, for a pageant candidate at that time, she’s the least competitive. Imagine, Top 15 lang ang gusto?
Feeling namin, she’s the kind na sasabay sa agos. But once nasa gitna na, saka siya lalangoy. Even ang showbiz, hindi niya naman pinursigeng pasukin. In fact, matagal siyang nagpahinga after niyang umuwi from Russia. Hindi siya agad nag-transition sa showbiz like other beauty queens na nauna sa kanya.
In-enjoy lang daw niya ang mga TV guestings that came along with being a beauty queen, hanggang sa naging co-host ng Wowowin, hanggang sa maalok na ng acting projects. Once she started acting, nagustuhan niya ang she delivers. Nakaka-aura ang lola sa screen.
This time around, pumirma na siya ng film contract sa Viva and her first project there, ang Sarap Mong Patayin, appears to be real daring kung ang dalawang trailer releases ang pagbabasehan. Moreover, her role, as a drug user na kasabwat ng isang catfisher, required her to have a kissing scene not just with hunky co-star Kit Thompson, kundi maging kay beki Lassy Marquez.
Hindi daw siya nagdalawang-isip tanggapin ang project. Nauna raw kasi ang excitement niya during the pitching.
“Saka ko lang na-absorb na, ‘Ganito pala ’yong role?’ Hahaha! Na-enjoy ko naman at masaya ako sa result no’ng project.”
Ara’s presence in Viva makes her the third beauty queen in their stable. Nauna na sina Kylie Verzosa (Miss International 2016) at ang ka-batch niyang si Cindy Miranda (Binibining Pilipinas-Tourism 2013). Thus, we asked kung makikipagpatalbugan ba siya sa mga ito. Mabubuhay kaya ang pageant spirit among them?
“I wouldn’t say that,” iling ni Ara. “Actually si Kylie ang nag-reach out sa akin, gusto daw akong kausapin ni Boss Vic.
“Si Cindy, ka-batch ko, natutuwa ako kasi ang tagal din ni Cindy, now lang siya nabigbigyan talaga ng break.
“Sa akin ha, walang competitiveness. Kasi no’ng beauty pageant nga, di nga ako competitive. Hindi rin ako heavy favorite kaya walang pressure.
“And ever since, ke’t nasa showbiz na ako, my goal is, I just need to do my best.
“Siguro pag napanood nila kami, sa sexy roles aakalain nila may competition pero magkaka-ibang genre naman ginagawa namin so iba-iba din [atake].
Samantala, makikita na natin ang Ara Arida brand of sexy sa kanyang first ever Viva movie na Sarap Mong Patayin, which is scheduled to premiere on Vivamax on October 15.
Vivamax is available at web.vivamax.net. You can also download the app and subscribe via Google Play Store, App Store, and Huawei AppGallery.
Subscription options include: P29 (unli-watch all Vivamax titles for three days); P149/month; and P399 for 3 months for bigger savings.
You can also cast your screen from your device to Smart TV with Google Chromecast or Apple TV.
Vivamax is also now available for Pinoys in the Middle East—UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, and Qatar—for only AED35/month; in Europe for only 8 GBP/month; and Asia (Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore).
Also, since October 1, meron na ring Vivamax for Pinoys in Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, Brunei, Macao, Vietnam, Maldives, Australia, and New Zealand.
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