Activity: Analyze this SUCCESS STORY
The Pia Wurtzbach Success Story
Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach was crowned “Miss Universe” at the 64th Miss Universe
2015 pageant held at Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. She is an actress and model of German-
Philippine origin. She is Miss Philippines 2015. She symbolizes the deadly combination
of beauty with brains. Pia is a beauty-writer, chef and make-up artist.
Pia Wurtzbach was born on 24 September 1989 in Stuttgart, Baden- Württemberg,
Germany. Her father is a German and mother is a Filipino. She has a younger sister.
She was named in keeping with the Philippines' tradition. Her middle name 'Alonzo' is
her mother's maiden name. She took her secondary education from ABS-CBN Distance
Learning School in Quezon City. She studied Culinary Arts from the Centre for Asian
Culinary Studies, San Juan, Metro Manila.
Pia ventured into the world of glitz and glamour at the tender age of fourteen. She
joined an acting and modelling agency for children, 'Star Magic Talent'. She got a break
in television when she featured in K2BU, a series for teenagers, the romance collection,
'Your Song' and the concert programme, 'ASAP'. She has acted in films; 'All My Life', 'All
About Love' and 'Kung Ako Na Lang Sana'. She was the brand ambassador for 'Avon
Teen' for a period of five years. She has graced the cover of several prestigious fashion
magazines. She writes for the 2bU column of 'Inquirer Lifestyle'. She is popular as Pia
Romero, her screen name.
Pia is a pageant title-holder. Her first beauty contest was the 'Binibining Pilipinas
2013'. She was the 'first runner-up'. She participated in the 'Binibining Pilipinas 2015' as
a representative of Cagayan de Oro and won the title, paving the path for bigger victories.
Pia Alonzo walked away with the “Miss Universe” title at the Miss Universe
Pageant 2015 held on December 20 at The Axis, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. The 26-
year old beauty set the stage ablaze with her poise, incredible class and talent in her
exotic gorgeous ball gown and costumes. She was crowned by her predecessor, Paulina
Vega.
As Miss Universe, Pia aspires to lead the youth and to spread awareness about
HIV, especially in Philippines.
Source: http://successstory.com/people/pia-alonzo-wurtzbac
Processing Questions:
1. What lessons can you learn from the character you have chosen?
2. How would you like your life story to be told?
Activity: Analyze this SUCCESS STORY
Manny Pacquiao’s Unbelievable Success Story Will Inspire You
It’s 1990 in the province of General Santos in the Philippines. Manny Pacquiao is
12 years old. Pacquiao often speaks of his debt to his maternal uncle, Sardo Mejia, who
introduced him to boxing after he dropped out of school. It was this moment that would
spark an unforeseen passion and drive in Pacquiao to be one of the best boxers in the
entire world. According to his autobiography, he describes watching Mike Tyson’s
shocking defeat to James “Buster” Douglas in 1990 on television with his uncle as an
experience that “changed [his] life forever.”
In his hometown, he set up an open-for-all boxing match and beat every opponent
who came. He was well on the road of transforming himself from a lanky school dropout
to a junior boxing champion.
Despite his success, his family was still living in extreme poverty and hunger. They
became so desperate to the point that his father had to kill his pet dog for dinner.
Pacquiao couldn’t forgive his father for what he did so he left home, slept on cardboard
boxes, and sold bread on the streets just to make a meager living. At that point, he also
used boxing and won matches for $2 each, as a means of escaping poverty.
He soon moved to Manila and continued winning several boxing matches, but
given the increased standards of living, he wasn’t making enough to survive. He soon
got a job at a local gym doing gardening, cleaning and construction while boxing on the
side. He trained crazily all day and all night when possible, waking up the earliest and
leaving the gym at the latest possible time. Early on, his perseverance and determination
to be a part of the boxing world swayed him to cheat and add on some weights to
meet the featherweight class requirements.
As the fights got more serious, Pacquiao started getting more famous as well. He
would beat fighters from South Korea, Japan and Thailand and at the very young age of
19, he won his first World Champion title by beating Chatchai Sasakul, the reigning World
Boxing Council (WBC) World Flyweight Champion at that time. The turning point for
Pacquiao came when he won against world-class featherweight boxer Marco Antonio
Barrera at the Alamodome in Texas with a TKO. After that fight, he was recognized
internationally as a force to be reckoned with.
Today, at 37, he is one of the most respected boxers. Despite his loss during the
Mayweather match, he still has won the hearts of many boxing fans both in the
Philippines and worldwide. His one-of-a-kind story will continue to inspire and it will
always portray the journey of what millions of Filipinos continue to aspire for.
Source: https://www.kalibrr.com/advice/2015/05/manny-pacquiao-success-story-willl-
inspire- you/
Processing Questions:
1. What lessons can you learn from the character you have chosen?
2. How would you like your life story to be told?
Activity: Analyze this SUCCESS STORY
A Love Affair that Got Me Close to a Great Doctor
I am blissfully married and a proud mother to three young men. My husband Leo
knows that I am also engaged in another love affair, a sweet and enduring one. And he
approves, so do my sons.
This love affair is with research, and it started during my pediatric residency
training. I can still remember vividly the excitement and the long nights, the discovery of
meaningful developments, the joy of reading medical journals, the eagerness to prepare
something thorough and relevant. The excitement I felt continued up to my postgraduate
internship, my fellowship in infectious diseases and it has lasted until now. My husband
was never jealous and my relationship with my sons never soured despite this other
ongoing and never-ending love affair. I could not ask for more. This is the best life.
So last May 23, the family accompanied me to Vigan, Ilocos Sur to attend the 107th
annual convention hosted by the Philippine Medical Association (PMA). Being included
as one of the 15 finalists for the coveted Dr. Jose P. Rizal Memorial Awards is a proud
moment for my family. With them around, I was the proudest wife, mom, and doctor.
While individual citations were being read on stage for the top awardees for
Community Leadership (Dr. Purisima A. Bueno), Government Service (Dr. Maria Victoria
M. Abesamis), Clinical Practice (Dr. Bonaleth M. De Vera) and Academe (Dr. Estrella B.
Paje-Villar), I never expected that the final citation was all about the fruits of my other
love affair, with research.
“Lead investigator for the much-awaited clinical trials on the multivalent dengue
vaccine…” “repeatedly cited by researchers here and abroad…” “served as the
springboard for the Expanded Program of Immunization (EPI) of the Department of
Health…” “provided the evidence and the science…” “extended her work to the
communities…” “greater things to come that will benefit science, medicine and the
Filipino people…” “epitomizes the virtues of Dr. Jose P. Rizal…” “…love of country
and service to our countrymen…” All these brought me back to the past 30 years of my
medical, family and community life.
My love affair with research did not happen overnight. It was a journey that began
with a case presentation as a first-year pediatric resident, and a prospective study on
how to prevent early jaundice in newborns. My recommendation that a nursery should
always be facing the direction the sun rises so that a newborn can benefit from exposure
to morning sunlight won the top prize for the hospital’s annual research competition. This
did not happen once. It was a back-to-back win for three straight years. I got hooked.
Who would not be? Year 1991 was my first immersion in dengue research. Twenty-three
years later, I am now the lead investigator of the country’s clinical trials for dengue
vaccine, in the countries where dengue is a major public health problem. It’s a vaccine
the medical community worldwide is waiting for.
In Vigan, the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) bore witness to the conferment
of the award. The title comes with a specially designed trophy in the image of Dr. Jose
P. Rizal by National Artist Napoleon V. Abueva, a gold medallion, free trip to the United
States to attend the convention of the American Academy of Family Physicians and
P150, 000 worth of medicines that I can share with a civic organization of my choice.
Was it just a coincidence or pure fate that it is also the 23rd year of the presentation
of the prestigious Dr. Jose P. Rizal Memorial Awards? If the number “23” is a
coincidence, what a joyful one. If this is destiny, let me accept it with gratitude.
This award is a fitting tribute to those who have encouraged and inspired me to
continue my love affair with research — participants and their families as well as my
teams in clinical trials, officials of the local health, school and government units, the
Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, collaborators/partners and sponsors of my
researches, Basaynon Katiguban, Inc. and my town mates in Basey, Samar, who
continue to show resiliency despite the tragedy during the super typhoon Yolanda, the
Philippine Pediatric Society and Manila Medical Society for the recognition of my works
and the nomination.
For more than three decades, I have never felt happier and accomplished than
when doing medical research. It is tiring but exciting, demanding yet humbling,
intimidating but empowering, exacting yet fulfilling. My work is my loving tribute to a great
Filipino and a fellow doctor, Jose P. Rizal, MD.
(Dr. Rose Zeta Capeding is the 23rd Dr. Jose P. Rizal Memorial Awardee for
Research. She is currently the head of the Microbiology Department of the Research
Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) and head of the Dengue Research Group. She is
the head, Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Asian Hospital and
Medical Center.)
Source: http://www.philstar.com/business-life/2014/06/30/1340085/love-affair-got-me-
close- great-doctor
Processing Questions:
1. What lessons can you learn from the character you have chosen?
2. How would you like your life story to be told?
Assignment:
Write it on your journal.
Search for the definition of the following terms:
1. Dreams/Imagination
2. Process/ Action
3. Inspiration/Motivation
4. Trial
5. Overcome
6. Hard work
7. Success
