SELF-LOVE is the key to maintaining one’s beauty. “It all goes back to you; the buck stops here with you. You are in control, not your doctor, BF, neighbor, priest. It’s you,” shared wellness advocate Cory Quirino.

Now, it can be told. Cory Quirino was among those who felt strongly about the crowning of Catriona Gray as Miss Universe 2018 last December. The known wellness advocate took to Instagram to share a short clip of her reaction to the coronation. She was exclaiming, “Vindication for Catriona Gray.”

What we are teaching is empowerment. There’s no beauty tip that is not related to health. That’s why we say that the root of beauty is health. It’s the only way to accept wellness in our life

Many people know that Cory Quirino once handled the franchise of Miss World Philippines. It was during her time when Megan Young took home the famous blue crown in 2013. Two years later, Quirino was confident that the fresh-faced Catriona Gray would be the second Filipina to wear the crown.

“When I first saw Catriona in 2015, I already saw the crown on her. I didn’t think that she wouldn’t wear the Miss World crown,” she recalled in front of select reporters in December last year.

As fate would have it, Gray only placed fourth in that tilt.

“Pageant aficionados and bloggers know this. The truth is, llamadong-llamado (favorite to win) si Catriona Gray sa Miss World 2016. I can’t believe that she only landed in fourth place.

And when I saw her at the stage after the show crying and hugging the flag of the Philippines, I told myself it was too heartbreaking for me. So I told myself I cannot handle a pageant if this is going to be the result. Since I don’t have control and ownership of the pageant, you cannot question the result,” Cory shared.

It was this incident and her realization that she would rather promote wellness to as many Filipinos as she can that she decided to let go of the franchise.

“When I was given the license, we had not won any Miss World title. That was in 2011. I was challenged. I’m that kind of person who is challenged so when she won, it was gone. I asked myself, ‘Does a beauty pageant define Cory Quirino or does Cory Quirino define a beauty pageant?’ I said, this is not what defines me. There’s so much more that I want to do. And the one thing that I really love is wellness. It is my advocacy. When I held the franchise, I did not have time for my wellness projects and books,” she admitted.

Fortunately for Cory, good news kept coming her way starting with that big win in December and all the way to the new year as she is set to release a fifth book and mark a milestone as a “broadcaster on a mission.”

“I’m writing my next book already. It’s called The Beauty Queen In You. Very timely. We see that when you’re a beauty queen, you have a crown, whether you’re a man or woman. It’s a book on empowerment,” she enthused.

She wrote the book as a follow-up to four other related books on beauty and wellness. She first had her foray in publishing when she wrote Forever Young in 2002. It went on to become a bestseller.

Cory is living proof of walking the talk. In her 60s, she still possesses a fairly younger looking beauty. There is that radiance and inner glow that emanates from her.

She said, as she always does in her radio program Ma-Beauty Po Naman which is marking its 15th year, there is no complicated solution to maintaining beauty.

“It all comes from love. Most people approach me about this. And I ask them about their everyday habits and lifestyle choices. It all starts from there. But we go back to its origin — love. If you want to fight the natural aging of our body, we can fight it. The good news is, you can delay the aging process. Bad news is aging begins in your late 20s. So when you’re in your 50s, can you still hear good news? Yes because you can delay the aging process. How? We can start with figuring our life goals. If your dream is to look 40, you must ask what you can do to make this happen. As soon as you answer that question, discipline comes into play.

When I first saw Catriona in 2015, I already saw the crown on her. I didn’t think that she wouldn’t wear the Miss World crown.

“SEX is good but it is complicated and you just don’t do it,” “Private Nights” host Dr. Lulu Marquez said. Discipline is non-negotiable. There are a lot of very basic tips. Second, you don’t need to buy a new wardrobe 10 years from now because you will still be able to maintain your size by then. It all goes back to you; the buck stops here with you. You are in control, not your doctor, BF, neighbor, priest. It’s you,” Cory expounded.

For Cory, it does not only encompass being healthy physically. It is a holistic process which involves the “unity of body, mind and spirit,” that defines “the wholeness of who you are,” she said.

“What we are teaching is empowerment. There’s no beauty tip that is not related to health. That’s why we say that the root of beauty is health. It’s the only way to accept wellness to our life,” she added.

Since there are three main components that comprise well-being, it is important to be open to and understanding of the complexities of the human body. While food will always be a welcome subject for humans, there is one topic that is culturally and sometimes “morally” deemed sensitive and other times “taboo” for Filipinos.

Sex, in its basest form, is an important aspect of living because it ensures the progeny of mankind. However, humans bounded by their societal norms tend to see it in different perspectives.

“When we say sex, why do you talk about it? If I talk about it, any topic, should be based on your anatomy, physiology, chemistry. Everything has science. How do you discuss a sensitive topic? Why talk about it? Simple, because sex is good, but it is complicated. It is dangerous; you just don’t do it. We need to speak about this. If we speak about it with the right perspective, you will understand,” said Dr. Lulu Marquez.

Like Cory, Dr. Lulu is one of the “broadcasters on a mission” spreading her advocacy on sex education every Sunday night. She anchors Private Nights, airing at 3 a.m. on Sundays at DZMM Radyo Patrol 630. The show will celebrate its 11th year on air this year.

An anesthesiologist, Dr. Lulu has found her passion through educating on the science of sex.

She shared that while past sex gurus like Dr. Margie Holmes talked about the psychiatry and/or psychology of sex, she explains it in a way that is backed by science, making it more understandable as each condition, whether a disease or dysfunction, is triggered by changes to bodily functions and chemistry.

Both Dr. Lulu and Cory could not stress enough the importance of being empowered. They share that with the right knowledge on wellness, anyone can harness the beauty within her.

Catch Dr. Lulu Marquez and Cory Quirino on DZMM Radyo Patrol 630 and DZMM TeleRadyo every Sunday. Private Nights airs from 3 to 4 a.m. while Ma-Beauty Po Naman airs from 9 to 10 a.m. The shows can also be seen on cable TV and on ABS-CBN TVplus via DZMM TeleRadyo and heard online via dzmm.com.ph.