“My name is Sczaiya Q. Requilman, 10 years old from San Vicente, Baguio City. Mabuhay!”

As the camera flashes, she waves at the crowd with grace a child could ever possess. Sczaiya is recently crowned the Little Miss Baguio 2022. The 10-year older has the charm and has already made a name for herself in amateur beauty pageants.

She is not just beautiful, but she also exudes wisdom beyond her age. She communicates with her expressive eyes and alluring smile, making it hard to believe that she is just 10.

She is also encouraging other children to pursue their dreams “Ine-encourage ko po yung mga bata para maabot po nila yung mga dreams nila (I am encouraging other children to pursue and realize their dreams),” she said.

Aside from modeling, Sczaiya also wants to pursue a degree in nursing as her future profession since “gusto ko pong tumulong (I want to help),” she added.

Sczaiya’s pursuit of her dream started with her joining the Little Miss Baguio pageant.

It was her first ever pageant and was lucky enough not just to win the title but also bagged most most of the major awards: Best in Talent, Best in Ethnic Wear, Best in Formal Gown, Best in Sports Wear, Miss Baguio Ambassador.

Her mother happily shared how she felt overwhelmed and proud that her daughter managed to grab the prominent awards.

Being kind and humble some of the most important lessons from the recently concluded pageant wherein she enjoyed her time at the catwalk and delighted the crowd with her entertaining dance performance.

Some may say that joining pageants is just an event to showcase one’s beauty, but for some, especially this little beauty queen, it is much more.

Audrey Hepburn, the American actress known for her beauty, said the beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode, but the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.

In the same way, Sczaiya said that she joined pageants mainly because she finds joy in competing, which is not a usual interest for a child, but it is her unique way of expressing herself.

Leila Bation