The former Miss Universe brings her bright personality and passion for purposeful designs as she rediscovers the Philippines R’Bonney Gabriel is like a ray of sunshine. Her smile is infectious. People cannot help but be in awe by how elegantly she walks, says a gentle hello, and strikes a pose for a photo.
She glows, not just because of her beautiful facade, but also because of her humility. She can easily make everyone giggle with her notes detailing her recent experience in the Philippines. She jots down Tagalog words, phrases, and sentences about the islands she visited, must-know Filipino banters, and even how to cook her favorite Filipino dishes.
That’s how R’bonney spends her days after she passed on her crown—exploring the beauty of the Philippines. Though this is not the first time she visited the archipelago, her comeback has given her more time to dive deep into Filipino culture, mingle with the people, and see things through a different lens. Since she arrived, the Texan beauty has seen the best of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao—Bohol, Sultan Kudarat, Boracay, and even Divisoria, to be exact.
Everything has been great so far, but the Filipino-American beauty queen confessed that she still wants to see more. Inside the stunning halls of Lanson Place Mall of Asia, the former Miss Universe sits down with Style Weekend as she looks back on her pageant journey, her mission as a designer mastering the art of sustainable fashion, and the things she discovered abou.