Maria Amor shares her life story as beauty queen and entrepreneur to PinoyWatchDog.

com By Joel Bander Senior Columnist Glittery personality Maria Amor started her adult life as a businesswoman at about age 19. First venture was a furniture business then extended to handicrafts, a beauty salon, and a silk screening business. Even back then as a young woman being a beauty pageant winner was an item in her portfolio; it did not define her existence. And now she has blossomed into an entertainment entrepreneur. When first invited to cover Amors birthday gala at the Beverly Hills Country Club on June 1, 2012, I considered it outside my job definition. I did not know at that time I would be writing about a creative and enterprising businesswoman, sometimes rustling feathers that she was not even wearing. I, like many, was distracted by the aura of a beauty queen that it could be the essence of a persons professional definition. The usual first impression of a beauty queen is someone relying on her looks instead of her abilities. However, as I have come to learn, that is not the essence of Maria Amor. This birthday gala at the Beverly Hills Country Club on June 1, 2012, was designed to promote Amors newest venture, Exoti World Magazine. It was also slated as a fundraiser for her pet charity thats helping a small community near her hometown that survives living from a large garbage dump. But this was not a Filipino event just because Ms. Amor hails from Rizal Province and she was the Miss Galaxy Asia winner in 2010. This gathering reflected the eclectic racial and cultural mix of Southern Californias entertainment industry --- with a bit of extra Filipino representation. The event was effective at centering on the persona of Amor, but from afar, observing, I sensed that this was a practical woman, not stating with her body language and expressions that I am beautiful so adore me. Her persona was more of I am a beauty queen, but lets be real; there is more to life than just that. Humble, but certainly in full promotional mode nevertheless.

Amor seemed to take all the attention in stride, without putting on airs, and not feeling pressured by folks making a fuss over her. When a mock re- crowning was requested she was gracious, but made fanciful light of the circumstances, even slightly mocking the whole beauty queen persona by, for a moment, putting on the false airs, that was clearly made to look false, but was humorous, and endearing, for all. I had not met Amor personally at this point, but I left the event feeling that this woman was focused on presenting herself as a beauty was not her entire being, even if some attendees sought a different reality. But I left the event at 11 p.m. and there was no mention of the charity aspects of the event. A few days later she was kind enough to allow me to interview her, along with our editor Rene Villaroman, and her promoter, Jesse JaM Miranda. Ms. Amor discussed her poor upbringing in Rizal province, but seemed surprised when I asked if she had running water and electricity. (My mom used to kid my dad that he used an outhouse as a small child, so that is ingrained in my psyche.) Her father was away from the family during her formative years, working in Saudi Arabia, and her mother was a municipal employee. However, she forged not only an array of businesses back home, but was able to become quite sophisticated through education and international travel before moving to the U.S. less than a decade ago. Now Amors multifaceted business empire focuses on beauty and glamour for those over 30, or even 40 years, of age, including not only the newly announced magazine, but a number of beauty pageants, and a regular show on Global TV, along with her charity work. Among her more interesting projects is Miss Global Ambassador, where she requests embassies in Washington, D.C. to designate nominees who best exemplify the promotion of freedom. So I decided, let me ask a beauty queen contest question: What is your greatest weakness? Laughing at being asked a question in that format she became serious saying I wish I was not so emotional, could be more controlled. I am too transparent. Amor demonstrated this aspect of her personality when a minor controversy arose regarding one member of the press who felt entitled to country club food at the party to write about the birthday party event. In response to that media persons blog she let loose a minor rage that Filipino food was being insulted, making statements that would make an ordinary publicist wince. (Interestingly, our own Chief of Reporters, Diony Grava, took the opposite view that the media should take no food from those they write about. For me, I was happy that the chicken adobo was not too salty.) I asked Amor why there was no mention at the birthday party that was touted as a fundraiser for her pet project back home. Jessie Miranda chimed in, advising about mismatching cables from computer to the projector at the hotel, and Radio Shack not having them once it was discovered. Amor admitted that her project back home to date has been modest, with an open air entertainment center for the community, and her plans for a small simple library with computers

and internet access. She did not try to make the charity work seem bigger than it was. Amor said that she brings all the money home personally, and the work is administered by her sister, a preacher back home. Amor is also willing to take on controversy, taking a crown away from one of her pageant winners, which is also causing a bit of an Internet stir. But my side notes from the interview best describe her as sophisticated business woman. Beauty queen is a part of her existence, but does not define her.