Even after winning the prestigious Ford Supermodel of the World competition in 2010, Magpantay still had to get used to rejection before scoring modeling projects.
“Dati, akala ko ‘di ako naaapektuhan, like ‘hindi, okay lang ‘yan. Hindi. ‘Pag one [rejected application] okay. Two, okay. ‘Pag nakawalo ka na, sampu, ‘yun na ‘yung magsta-start na magka-self doubt ka,” she said in an interview on the ABS-CBN program “Tapatan ni Tunying” aired on Thursday.
Magpantay eventually realized that she was not chosen in some projects not because she wasn’t good enough – it just so happened that they were looking for a specific face, a specific character.
“Lahat naman ng tao na nagpapa-book, may gusto silang look. Hindi lang ikaw ‘yung gusto nilang look,” she said, adding that she opted to focus on the projects where she got accepted.
The same applies to models who have achieved a certain level of success, said Magpantay, who noted that one should not rest on her laurels in this kind of industry.
“It’s a job that pays well as long as you work well. Kung wala kang trabaho, wala kang pera. Hindi siya ‘yung nine-to-five na trabaho na you have [a stable] income,” she explained.
Having said this, Magpantay gave this advice to those who want to venture into the world of modeling: “It’s not [just] about you.”
“Keep your feet on the ground. Know what you’re getting into. Work professionally. And enjoy [because] at the end of the day, ‘pag tapos na lahat, it’s just an experience,” she said.
“Always give back. Always offer it (achievement) to God,” she added.
Values, education
Magpantay is currently based in New York as she continues to fulfill her dream of being a supermodel.
“At a young age, I’ve achieved this much. I’m experiencing life for myself… That’s already success for me,” she said. “Hindi lang ‘yung modeling ‘yung tinitignan ko eh. Tinitignan ko ‘yung experiences I’ve gained, people I’ve met, how much I’ve learned from myself. Mas nakilala ko ‘yung sarili ko.”
While she is away from her family most of the time, the 20-year-old Filipina beauty said she does not forget the values that her parents taught her through the years.
“I really have to give it to my parents. They raised me well. Hindi naman po sa pagmamayabang, pero hindi po talaga ako maloko,” said Magpantay, whose mother is Supermodel of the World Philippines 1990 winner and makeup artist Lala Flores.
“I can enjoy life and still be responsible,” she said when asked if she has been influenced by the bad lifestyle choices associated with modeling.
Before moving to New York, Magpantay was a fine arts student of the University of the Philippines.
She said she is still planning to get a college degree despite her lucrative modeling career.
“I’m saving up for school. I want to study again. Sabi ng parents ko, ‘you have to go to school.’ And I have to give them a diploma,” she said.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
