CV Stardom

The Philippines’ National Housing Authority and R-II Builders Inc. made a joint venture agreement on March 19, 1993 to build a low-cost housing project at Smokey Mountain, a large landfill in Tondo, Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines. The country’s Supreme Court declared the agreement valid on August 2007.

Named after the landfill, the Smokey Mountain singing group was formed by Ryan Cayabyab and Judd Berlin. It was active from 1989 to 1995.

In 1995, the Smokey Mountain landfill was officially closed. It became public housing for the poor people living in the slums surrounding the landfill.

On November 23, 2018, Catriona Gray released a song titled “We’re In This Together“. It was produced by Young Focus International, an organization dedicated to helping children and poor communities in different parts of the Philippines including Tondo.

On December 17, 2018, Gray represented the Philippines at Miss Universe 2018 and competed against 93 other candidates at the Impact Arena in Pak Kret, Nonthaburi, Thailand. She won the title.

“I’ve worked a lot in the slums of Tondo, Manila and the life there is very…,” Gray said in her speech during the Miss Universe 2018 competition. “It’s poor and it’s very sad and I’ve always taught myself to look for the beauty in it, to look in the beauty in the faces of the children and to be grateful.

“And I would bring this aspect as a Miss Universe to see situations with a silver lining and to assess where I could give something, where I could provide something as a spokesperson,” Gray continued. “And this, I think, if I could teach also people to be grateful, we could have an amazing world, where negatively could not grow and foster and children will have a smile on their faces.”

Gray is the fourth Miss Universe from the Philippines. The first three are Gloria Diaz, Margarita Moran and Pia Wurtzbach, who were crowned in 1969, 1973 and 2015, respectively.