Catriona Gray first gained recognition for promoting Filipino culture, heritage, and arts when she competed in Thailand for a prestigious beauty pageant—a mission she carried on during her reign as Miss Universe 2018.
Though her pageant reign ended years ago when she passed the crown to the next Miss Universe, Catriona continues to champion Filipino culture—promoting locally made products and honoring heritage warriors and artisans.
In her recent social media posts, the beauty queen and local culture advocate shared her travels to Mindanao, where she connected with weavers and artists who continue to uphold their ancestral traditions.
She began by highlighting her trip to Davao del Sur, where she met the descendants of Salinta Monon, the late Bagobo Tagabawa weaver who was declared a National Living Treasure in 1998.
“During our visit to the Bagobo Tagabawa cultural center, I had the honor of being able to hold a textile created by one of our Philippine National Treasures [Face Holding Back Tears and Philippine Flag emojis] Salinta Monon was born in 1920 and grew up watching her mother weave over the loom,” Catriona wrote.
“After learning the art of weaving herself at a young age, she dedicated her life to the preservation of the craft. In 1998, Salinta received the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) Award or the National Living Treasure award. Known for her mastery of incredible intricate inabal designs, Salinta was known as the last master of the ‘inabal’, the traditional abaca textile of the Bagobo Tagabawa,” the fourth Filipina Miss Universe titleholder continued.
Catriona shared that she met Salinta’s daughter and granddaughter, who are now continuing the traditional Bagobo weaving. She expressed her hope that the practice would thrive and be passed down to future generations.
“Since her passing in 2009, her legacy lives on through her family and students. During the visit I was able to meet Rose Monon and Jessa Mae Monon Dillera the daughter and grand daughter of Salinta respectively. [White Heart emoji],” Catriona went on.
“What an honor it is to be able to share such incredible talent on my platforms and to behold (and hold!!) it’s legacy [Face Holding Back Tears emoji] Sana magtuloy-tuloy ang mahalagang legacy ni Salinta Momon sa mga susunod pang henerasyon.”
In another post, the Filipino pride and beauty icon highlighted her experience in Davao City and the opportunity to learn more about the Bagobo art and fashion through Arlyne Salazar.
“During my trip to Davao City I had the incredible honor of having an in-depth conversation with traditional artist Bae Arlyne Salazar. Her mastery in her appliqué work has captured the respect and admiration of both traditional artists and contemporary fashion designers – and it’s easy to see why! [Smiling Face with Heart-Eyes emoji],” Catriona said.
She went on to commend Arlyne’s dedication to preserving Bagobo artistry—deeply rooted in the stories, dreams, and natural landscapes that shape her people’s identity.
“Her bead work is done with exceptional skill, and her combination of colors and symbolic designs are testament to her artistry. ‘Umpak’ is the generic term for the jackets that the Bagobo wear and their designs are symbols derived from their dreams, environment and epics of their people. [Philippine Flag emoji],” the beauty queen proudly shared.
Catriona also reflected that meeting the master artist in person and witnessing the beauty of her intricate creations up close was an experience she will always hold dear.
“Bae Arlyne has been teaching in the Schools of Living Traditions for Bagobo traditional garments in Davao Del Sur – ensuring that the tradition lives on. Having the opportunity – not just to see her work with my own eyes – but to be able to speak with the artist herself is something I treasure so deeply!” she said.
For her most recent post, the Arts Ambassador recounted her visit to Davao’s Pearl Farm in Samal Island, Davao del Norte, where she met a T’boli artist—an encounter that brought back memories of her trip years ago to Lake Sebu, South Cotabato.
“Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, continues to be one of my most memorable trips locally here in the Philippines, because of the vibrant culture of the T’boli and the stunning landscapes. [Mountain and Philippine Flag emojis],” she said.
In this post, she highlighted the artistry of Myrna Marcelo, a T’boli weaver and artisan who introduced her to the intricate craft of adding sequins to a traditional T’boli blouse.
“During my visit to Davao Pearl Farm, I had the incredible honor of getting to spend time with Ms Myrna Marcelo – a traditional T’nalak weaver from Lake Sebu. As we talked, she was working on a T’boli blouse – traditionally called a Kegal Bentilas – which is meticulously beaded by hand with white sequins,” Catriona continued.
The beauty queen and artist herself even tried adding beads and quickly realized how intricate and labor-intensive the process was.
“The attention to detail and skill was amazing to witness up close… and then she gave me an incredible gift [Face Holding Back Tears emoji]. Ms. Myrna allowed me to try the traditional beadwork pattern she was working on!” she recalled.
“Medjo napressure ako kasi ayoko maruin or mess up her pattern – that you can see she has dedicated hours to with every single sequin being placed individually by hand. But sobrang patient siya saakin, and she took the time to explain and teach me [Face Holding Back Tears emoji],” Catriona added.
She said the encounter deepened her already high respect for the craft, giving her an even greater appreciation for the precision, time, and care behind traditional T’boli clothing.
“At grabe, my respect for the craft was already high, but was raised even more so when I realized the importance of a few millimeters and the time and care required to create these traditional T’boli clothing pieces. [Philippine Flag emoji] Humbled and honored to experience our culture in this way. [Folded Hands, Philippine Flag, Face Holding Back Tears emojis],” she concluded.
It can be recalled that Catriona championed Filipino textiles and locally made outfits when she competed in Thailand for Miss Universe 2018.
In 2021, she hosted Kultura 101, a web series produced by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and dedicated to promoting Philippine arts and culture.
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