Rest in Peace Nelia Sancho, Queen of the Pacific 1971, Activist

**bonner** Fri Sep 02, 2022 6:32 am

Rest in Peace Nelia Sancho, Queen of the Pacific 1971, Activist

Nelia Sancho (Queen of the Pacific 1971) was a sought after Pitoy Moreno model and Gloria Diaz's runner-up in the Bb. Pilipinas search of 1969. Two years later, the Philippine Tourism Authority appointed her to represent the country at the Queen of the Pacific Contest in Melbourne, Australia. Nelia won the title and bagged the Most Photogenic award.

With her keen sense of nationalism and youth idealism, Nelia foray into activism at the onset of the First Quarter Storm and eventually joined the underground movement during Martial Law. She became a political prisoner afterwards and co-founded the women's group Gabriela with fellow beauty queen turned activist Maita Gomez in the early 80s.

After the EDSA Revolution, she unsuccessfully ran for the Senate in 1987, but continues her involvement to several progressive organizations that advocates women empowerment, nationalist development and just compensation for Filipina Comfort Women of World War 2.
Truly, not just a beauty queen with pretty face, but with real sense of purpose of serving the disadvantage, marginalized and often neglected sectors of our society.”

credits via Pageant Throwback Philippines

From Millet Martinez Mananquil :

The last time I met up with Nelia Sancho was decades ago when she called me. “I’ve just been released from prison.Please help me,ha.Please buy encyclopedia from me for your kids.”Of course I did, and my kids really loved the books. Today, I got news from Nikki Coseteng that Nelia died in a hospital in Aklan. Named Queen of the Pacific 1971 and a former Pitoy Moreno model, Nelia was my UP MassComm schoolmate . She spent most of her life as an activist , a co-founder of Gabriela , a nationalist who fought for freedom, justice and human rights. She was arrested “for invading urban slum areas in Cagayan de Oro” and spent almost three years in prison…You are truly beautiful, Nelia.

**bonner** Fri Sep 02, 2022 6:33 am

Rest in Peace Nelia Sancho, Queen of the Pacific 1971, Activist

Rest in Peace Nelia Sancho, Queen of the Pacific 1971, Activist

Re: Rest in Peace Nelia Sancho, Queen of the Pacific 1971, Activist