Miss Universe Philippines 2022 Celeste Cortesi and her mother, Maria Luisa Rabimbi. Screengrab from Empire Philippines' YouTube page
Fans and followers of Celeste Cortesi finally got a closer look at the beauty queen's emotional reunion with her Filipina mother in Parma, Italy earlier this year.
As shown in the newest vlog released by Empire Philippines, Cortesi paid a surprise visit to her mother Maria Luisa Rabimbi, who hails from Bicol province.
"My mom thinks she's going to dinner with her best friend. So she has no idea that I'm coming to visit my mom. And it's been more than two years, so I'm very excited," she said.
A visibly surprised Rabimbi gave her daughter a hug upon seeing her back home, and could not help but explain to the cameras that she was unable to fix the house.
"Hindi ko naayos 'yung bahay kasi may trabaho ako until 5 o'clock," she said.
Rabimbi admitted that she was hoping that her daughter would visit her after finding out that she and the rest of the Miss Universe Philippines team were in France, but she never expected Cortesi to show up on their doorstep.
Cortesi, for her part, said she is "so happy" to finally see her mother again.
"I've been planning to go here so many times but because of the pandemic, of course, I couldn't come home," she said.
BORN IN PASAY, RAISED IN ITALY
In the vlog, Rabimbi said Cortesi was born in Pasay on the fifth year of her parents' stay in the Philippines.
"Actually 'yung asawa ko gustong-gusto niya talaga sa Pilipinas. Love niya talaga ang Pilipinas kaya nag-stay kami doon for five years. Wala pa noon si Celeste, isa pa lang noon ang anak ko. Si Celeste doon na ginawa," she said.
Rabimbi said they had to return to Italy when her daughter was seven months old as her husband needed to seek treatment. He passed away when Cortesi was nine years old.
Looking back on her years of hard work as a single mom, Rabimbi said: "Kailangan malakas ang loob mo. Hindi ako puwedeng magpabaya, hindi puwede. Kailangan abante kasi ako lang dito."
'DETERMINED'
Rabimbi is proud of what her daughter has become, an independent and mature woman who is determined as ever to achieve her goals.
She also could not believe how Cortesi has become fluent in English after her few years in the Philippines.
"Ano talaga siya, determinado," she said. "Talagang alam ko kahit noong maliit pa 'yan, talagang 'yung determinasyon niya grabe."
"Kaya 'pag ayaw niya, ayaw niya. Kapag gusto niya, gagawin niya lahat," added Rabimbi, who revealed that her daughter has been joining pageants in Italy since she was a teen.
And while she believes that Cortesi has what it takes to win the Miss Universe pageant, she reminded her daughter to always be kind and humble.
"Basta maging sincere lang siya... Tapos maging mabait siya, huwag siyang snob," she said.
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