NERI Naig-Miranda spoke candidly about beauty standards and self-acceptance after she received online comments criticizing her appearance.
Naig shared through an Instagram post on Wednesday, Nov. 5, that she woke up to several notifications on her phone, some of which were remarks on how she looked.
“Nagulat ako kasi ang dami palang comments… some of them were concerned about how I look. May nagsabi pa na, ‘Ano’ng nangyari kay Neri? Ang haggard niya .. tumanda itsura mo.’ The truth is… ang daming nangyari sa akin.. di ba? Hehe! At patuloy pa ring lumalaban sa trauma at depresyon,” she wrote.
The former actress then reflected on her longstanding insecurities, saying she often heard people call her pangit (ugly) or someone difficult “to make beautiful.”
“Hindi ako pinanganak na maganda. Alam ko na yun.. at hindi rin ako nagpapaawa or fishing.. At matagal kong naging insecurity ‘yan nung bata pa ako. Growing up, lagi kong naririnig, ‘Ang pangit mo,’ or ‘Ang hirap mong pagandahin,’” she shared.
“Kahit nung nag-artista na ako, may mga tao na nagsasabi na nahihirapan raw akong ayusan kasi mukha daw akong probinsyana. Mukhang ukay-ukay mga damit ko… And you know what? Totoo naman,” she added.
Despite the insecurities, Naig affirmed that she has now learned to embrace herself fully, including the “freckles, veins, uneven nose, and lips.” “This is my face. Walang botox, walang filter… only me,” she stressed. “Dati, sobrang sakit marinig na ‘ang pangit mo.’ Pero habang tumatanda ka, you realize… So what if I’m not pretty? So what if I don’t look like everyone else on TV or social media? Because now, at 42, I’ve learned to love and accept this face.”
The 42-year-old entrepreneur ended her post urging her followers to “normalize” looking real and human.
“Let’s normalize seeing women without make-up. Let’s normalize looking real, looking tired, looking human. Because maybe… it’s in our most unfiltered moments that we actually look the most alive,” she concluded.
Last year, Naig made headlines after she was arrested for 14 counts of syndicated estafa and securities violation. She was released following a court order on Dec. 4, and the charges against her were dismissed last Feb. 12. (Jessica Ann Evangelista © Philippine Daily Inquirer)
