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December 5, 2010


magazine cover story The Sunday Times VENUS A true » W magazine The Sunday Times


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By Tessa Maurcio-Arriola Lifestyle Editor


HY her mother named her after the Roman goddess of beauty was a puzzlement for Maria Venus Raj when she was a little girl growing up in Bato, Camarines Sur. In fact, she remembers running home to their tiny hut in the rice fields crying, because the neighboring kids would call her ugly, what with her dark skin and kinky hair.


Today, a fourth runner-up in the Miss Universe pageant, the statuesque 5’10” beauty giggles girlishly at her childhood recollection, because she also remem- bers quickly drying her tears when her mother firmly told her not to listen to them. “Basta sabi ng Nanay ko maganda daw ako kaya sa kanya ako naniwala [My mother insisted that I was beautiful so I chose to believe her],” she giggles even more. With her pin straight hair now flowing like silk, almost down to her waist, even Raj herself is amazed that she is actually the star of a television commercial for hair conditioning giant, Cream Silk. “Dati-rati, inis na inis ang Nanay ko sa mga


commercials


pag nanunood siya ng mga teleserye niya; pero ngayon, sabi niya sa akin, sana mas madalas na daw yung mga commercials para lagi niya akong nakikita sa TV [My mom used to get annoyed when commer- cials cut through her soap operas; but now, she wishes there were more commer- cials so she would always see me on TV],” she added shyly.


Indeed, life has changed radically for the 22-year-old Bicolana with very humble roots. From being teased and taunted as a child, she now draws awe and admiration wherever she goes. But just so the public may know, Raj’s better days began even before she won Miss Bicolandia in 2007, Miss Philip- pines Eco-Tourism in 2008, and her triumphant year as Binibining Pilipinas- Universe and Miss Universe Fourth Runner-up this 2010.


While she started joining beauty contests as early as 17 years old to help her single mother raise their brood of five, she never depended on these pageants to pull them out of poverty. Clearly blessed with a good hair on her shoulders, she always believed—and rightly so—that education was her key to a brighter future. And so from elementary all the way to college, Raj worked hard at getting to school—literally—and making the most of her studies once she got there. She endured walking along mud-filled rice paddies just to attend class at the public school in Bato and nearing high school graduation, took it upon herself to fend for a college degree. “Hindi pa po ako guma- graduate, naghahanap na ako ng paraan na makakuha ng scholarship sa college, para wag na pong


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