Teen queen Nadine Bornilla admires Mayor Abby Binay

Miss Philippine Youth 2018 Nadine Bornilla is one of those young people who has nothing but admiration for Makati City Mayor Abigail "Abby" Binay.

During her courtesy call to the mayor's office last Feb. 5, Bornilla thanked Binay for supporting the youth of Makati City.

Bornilla, 15, presented a plaque of appreciation to Mayor Binay. She also met Makati City Vice Mayor Monique Lagdameo.

"Thank you so much for everything that you have done for the youth of Makati," Bornilla said. She was accompanied by her father Dr. Jumel V. Bornilla, Manix Genabe and other friends from the media.

Mayor Binay smiled and replied: "Kulang pa."

Sought to give message to Bornilla, Binay said: "I would like to congratulate her for representing the city for this event. Hopefully you will use this opportunity to help other people."

"I feel excited meeting her for the first time. I've been a citizen of Makati ever since I was five years old. My parents enrolled me in schools here with teachers who are very, very good," she said. "When I came here I speak Bicol pa. I didn't understand Tagalog pa or English."

Bornilla also asked the people to help the victims of the explosion of Mayon Volcano in Albay in Bicol.

"We are all in this together. We are actually planning to have a medical mission there to help the people who were affected by the explosion of Mayor Volcano. I think there are sicknesses there right now due to the explosion of the volcano," she said.

Bornilla has just arrived from Japan where she and other students of Colegio San Agustin in Makati City won bronze in the choir competition in Kobe.

Now in Grade 9, Bornilla said that she wants to take up pre-med in Australia soon. Later, she will pursue medicine in London. "I am ready to be independent." - ROBERT REQUINTINA

* Images courtesy of Joy Arguil.