“No, I can’t answer that as I don’t really know,” says Margie Moran Floirendo who we got to interview while she’s taping at PTV4 her spiels for the Bb. Pilipinas USA pageant that will be held in Los Angeles, California on July 26. “I guess it’s really just a matter of destiny, kung sino ang mga kalaban mo, sino ang judges ninyo. And I notice, yung mga nagiging runners up natin ngayon sa Miss Universe, they’re in their mid-20s na. I was only 19 when I won. Gloria Diaz was even younger. She’s only 18. So I don’t know.”
After she won, she did a movie with Cocoy Laurel, “Oh Margie Oh”. How come she didn’t make another one?
“There were other offers but the truth is I didn’t really enjoy making movies. I was tired of all the waiting on the set. E, I’m such a hyper person. Besides, nag-asawa na ako, e. And I really enjoyed hosting on TV more. I had a show on ABS for seven years. Then later, I produced a movie with ABS, ‘Bagong Buwan’, directed by the late Marilou Abaya, about the war in Mindanao. I also produced a documentary about the quest for peace in Mindanao, ‘Healing the Past, Building the Future’.”
After 40 years since she won, does she have any regrets in life? “None. I lived a full life, I’m very fulfilled. I have two daughters in their twenties, Monica and Gabrielle. It took 11 years after our wedding before I had my first child. Monica studied at the University of Bristol in the U.K. and she is now getting married in January to Keenan Ugarte. They want to have just a small intimate wedding, inviting only their closest friends and relatives. But small for them is about 300 people. She’s 26 and I really look forward to having grandchildren na. Gaby naman just graduated from Brandeis University, majoring in political science and French, with minor in legal studies. I’m convincing her to take up law kasi my dad is a lawyer at walang nagmana sa family namin.”
Her daughters are very pretty. How come no one tried to be a beauty queen like her? “Ayaw nila. It’s not their cup of tea. They concentrated more on their studies.”
It was reported then that she’d follow in the footsteps of her husband, ex-Davao Rep. Antonio Floirendo, and also join politics. “Some people tried to convince me but it never happened. It’s not my line. I also help naman the people of Davao with my advocacies. I helped pushed tourism, specially with our Davao Pearl Farm. I also helped a lot of people with my livelihood programs in the second district of Davao. Now, I’m the president of Ballet Philippines sa CCP and I request everyone to watch our shows. I’m also with the Habitat for Humanity helping build homes for the poor and World Wildlife Fund to help save our forest and the environment.”
She remains so beautiful even if she’s already turning 60 come October. What’s her secret? “Nothing. I do go to Dr. Vicki Belo but nothing invasive. I work out. I enjoy life. Three months a year, I travel to other countries. I just left in March with some friends to visit South America. We went to Chile, Uruguay, Bolivia and Argentina. I came home then left again after a week for the U.S., Canada and India naman. There’s so much to enjoy in life.”
