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First Akeanon Beauty Queen International Titlist Dies
Ms. Sancho (Queen of the Pacific 1971) was a sought after Pitoy Moreno model and Gloria Diaz’s runner-up in the Bb. Pilipinas search of 1969. Two years later, the Philippine Tourism Authority appointed her to represent the country at the Queen of the Pacific Contest in Melbourne, Australia. Nelia won the title and bagged the Most Photogenic award.
With her keen sense of nationalism and youth idealism, Nelia foray into activism at the onset of the First Quarter Storm and eventually joined the underground movement during Martial Law. She became a political prisoner afterwards and co-founded the women’s group Gabriela with fellow beauty queen turned activist Maita Gomez in the early 80s.
After the EDSA Revolution, she unsuccessfully ran for the Senate in 1987, but continues her involvement to several progressive organizations that advocates women empowerment, nationalist development and just compensation for Filipina Comfort Women of World War 2.
A street in Las Piรฑas City, Metro Manila was named after her.
Truly, not just a beauty queen with pretty face, but with real sense of purpose of serving the disadvantage, marginalized and often neglected sectors of our society.โ
credits via Pageant Throwback Philippines/via Culaso Ology FB Page
