Miss Universe 1973 Margie Moran Answers Beauty Queen Questions

Margarita "Margie" Moran-Floirendo has created an inspiring path for many women. Pursuing her passion for dance and philanthropy, she served as the president of the Ballet Philippines for nine years, embarked on many social and civic works as a peace advocate and ambassador-trustee of Habitat for Humanity Philippines, and currently serves as the chairperson of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

She has fervently promoted arts and culture in the Philippines, a passion that was ignited when she was named Miss Universe 1973.

Unlike other beauty queens, Margie did not dream of competing for a title. In fact, she was only persuaded by family and friends to join Binibining Pilipinas in 1973. But when she won and went on to represent the Philippines in the Miss Universe competition in Athens, Greece, the whole country cheered as she brought home the second Miss Universe crown. She also won Miss Photogenic on top of the coveted title.

But how did she fare in the Q&A segment of her pageant? Margie answered in the most straightforward way when her million-dollar question (quite literally) was thrown her way.

Question: Let's make believe that all of a sudden you had a million dollars. What's the first thing you would buy and why would you buy it?

A house and lot, because it’s the most expensive thing and I can’t afford it. If I had a million bucks, I’d buy a house and lot and live by myself, and other people of course

Metro Channel had the opportunity to sit down with Margie Moran for Joey Mead-King’s show, Women of Style, and asked her to time-travel with her. In a parallel universe, if Margie were to be asked these beauty queen questions instead, how would she have answered?

Final question for Jeannie Anderson, Bb. Pilipinas 2006

If you were given the chance to be beautiful but not so smart or very smart but not so beautiful, which would you prefer?

Jeannie's answer:

"Well, um, quiet please! Okay. Well, I’d rather choose to be, uh, beautiful. Um, because, um, to be beautiful like, um, it’s natural. But, um, being smart, you can learn. You can learn, um, a lot of things. You can learn from the experience. You can learn from a lot of things to be smart"

Margie's answer:

I think I would rather be smart and not so beautiful because I’ll be smart enough to do whatever it takes to be beautiful—and if you’re smart, you’re naturally beautiful

Final question for Lara Dutta of India, Miss Universe 2000

Right now there is a protest going on right outside here calling the Miss Universe pageant disrespectful of women. Convince them that they are wrong.

Lara's answer:

"I think pageants, like the Miss Universe pageant, gives us young women a platform to foray into the fields that we want to and forge ahead. Be it entrepreneurship, be it in the armed forces, be it politics. It gives us a platform to voice our choices and opinions and makes us strong and independent that we are today"

Margie's answer:

Women have the right to choose whatever they want to do in life. It’s not disrespectful because these women respect themselves and other people

Watch the full episode below: