PERSONAL PARTICULARS
Birth name: Maria Venus Bayonito Raj
Birth date: July 7 1988 (age 22)
Birth place: Doha, Qatar
Measurements: 35-22-35
Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Eye color: Black
Hair color: Black
Title(s): Miss Philippines-Universe 2010
Major competition(s) : Miss Philippines Earth 2008 (Eco-tourism)
BIOGRAPHY:
Raj was born out of wedlock in Doha, Qatar, but she was taken to Camarines Sur in Bicol, Philippines as an infant when her Filipino mother and Indian father separated. It was her mother, a tenant farmer and dressmaker, who solely brought her up as a child.
Raj had lived in a nipa hut made of wood, bamboo and anahaw leaves with no electricity in the middle of a sprawling rice field in the rural Bato town for more than 20 years. Walking on a rice paddy dike was her early training for walking on fashion runways.
The youngest in a brood of five children, Raj started joining local beauty pageants when she was 17 years old, as well as oratorical contests at San Vicente High School. Maria Lourdes Pili, her English teacher, served as her coach for the oratorical contests. With her winnings in major contests, she started to buy land on installment basis for her mother.
Raj finished her bachelor's degree in Communications Arts, major in Journalism, at Bicol University in Albay, with Latin honors (cum laude). She was able to finish college through the scholarship that she received from Francis Papica Foundation.[5] Currently, she is working as an Information Assistant for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Region IV.[7] In addition, she works as a fashion model and shuttles between Bicol and Manila for modeling assignments.
PHOTO GALLERY
Special thanks to the source taken: Wikipedia
MISS PHLIPPINES UNIVERSE 2010 - Maria Venus Bayonito Raj
