Raine Baljak

Raine Baljak (born 12 December 1996) is an experienced public speaker, entrepreneur, consultant, coach, internet personality, and model. [1][2][3]

Portrait of Raine Baljak

She attended Cebu International School. She was a host for television program on MyTV Channel Cebu.[4][5] Former radio personality.[6] In May 2014, Raine and her mother, Merce Abellana [7] (former Miss Cebu's 5 Prettiest 1986) [8] became the first mother and daughter endorsers of Oro Galleria Fine Jewelry owned by the Philippines oldest Jewelry Group, Oro China.[9]

Early life

Baljak is of Croatian, Spanish, Chinese and Filipino descent. She was born in Sydney, Australia, but moved to Cebu City, Philippines as a child.[10][11]

In her childhood, she remembers raising money with her cousin to contribute a small playground built in Maslog that still exists today.[11] She has mentioned in interviews that she enjoys rock climbing [1] and in a 2006 Freeman article she won first place at ten years old in an Aboitiz Baseline Climbing competition.[12] In 2013 and 2014, Baljak competed in Manila for the International Schools Athletics Conference representing CIS Girls Basketball team.[13][14] She has also volunteered for the Make-A-Wish Foundation in September 2013 - January 2014.[15] In February 2014, Baljak volunteered for the Yellow Boat Foundation.[16] On Baljak's graduating year from Cebu International School, her Visual Arts class exhibited their artworks at the Ayala Center Cebu on March 16–24, 2015.[17]

While Miss Cebu is her first pageant, Baljak is not a complete stranger to them. Her mom, Merce Abellana was crowned one of Miss Cebu's 5 Prettiest 1986 and was also Miss Mandaue 1984 third runner-up and Binibining Pilipinas 1990 Top ten.[18] Her aunt Mae Beverly Lao-Abellana was a Binibining Pilipinas 1981 finalist. Her grandmother, Fe Durano Lao, was Miss Nursing at Southwestern University, and Baljak's great-grandmother Maria Mercedes Durano Lao was also a beauty queen during her time.[10]

Alongside the beauty queens, the men in Baljak's family were also quite the achievers, with her great-grandfather Gregorio Abellana having fought against the Spanish as a Katipunero, while her grandfathers Jovito Abellana and Reuben Lao fought in World War II.[10] Jovito Abellana's memoir, My Moments of War to Remember By, was published in 2011 by the University of San Carlos Press,[19] and "Aginid Bayok Sa Atong Tawarik": Archaic Cebuano and Historicity in a Folk Narrative dance-epic, recorded by local antiquarian Jovito Abellana in 1952, purports to retell the main story of Magellan's voyage to the Philippines, from its arrival to the massacre of members of the expedition after the battle of Mactan.[20]

Miss Cebu 2016

Raine Baljak was candidate number 9 for Miss Cebu 2016. The pre-pageant was held at the Ayala Center Cebu Terraces on January 9, 2016 and she was an early stand out awarded two of the four awards given that night, as Miss Epson for being knowledgeable about Cebuano history and Best in Funwear in her two-piece creation by Mike Yapching.[21] The coronation night was held at the Waterfront Hotel's Grand Ballroom on January 13, 2016 where the panel of judges awarded her as ABS-CBN's Kapamilya Star of the Night and Best in Evening Gown wearing designer Dino Lloren.[22][23]

During her reign as Miss Cebu 2016, she has participated in community projects such as Pasundayag 2016 Cebu City Summer Workshop. Pasundayag promotes the idea that economic status is never a hindrance to a child's potential to shine and continue their dreams. On its 14th year, this annual summer workshop trains children aged 6 to 16 in the art of cultural, modern and traditional Cebuano dances (Pad-um, Pasiguin and Tinikling, along with modern dances like hip-hop) with the Knapsack Dancers, Abellana National School Dance Troupe, Miss Cebu Charities and other local celebrities who shared their time and passion contributed to the success of this event. Where the Cebu City Government through the Cebu City Tourism Commission and Cebu City Tourism Foundation Inc. hold their annual Pasundayag in cooperation with Ayala Center Cebu and Knapsack Productions.[24][25]

Activism

In December 2016, Baljak led a team of volunteers and professionals for the Love Cebu Kids Day Project joined by children from the Pasil and San Nicholas Cebu area. The event rose an awareness for the importance of keeping public spaces safe for children.[26] During the relocation of the Cebu Farmers’ Market (CFM) at VIBO Place along Escario Street in Cebu City, Baljak attended supporting the organic fruit and vegetable farmers. She presented a demo alongside friend, Chef Chip Lopez of Kairos – The Lazy Chef as they prepared a Thai green papaya salad using green papaya from her family's 8Hills Natural Farm for the dish. Nineteen year old Baljak brought with her an heirloom mortar and pestle to prepare a vegan sauce for the salad, as an alternative for those with allergies to live a healthier life.[27]

Baljak has also participated at the Cebu Daily News' Siloy Campus Journalism Workshop at the Cebu City Hall which was attended by 250 elementary and high school students from Cebu City. Baljak supported the event as she looks at journalists as people who love to listen and write about the stories and experiences of people that inform, inspire and involve the public. Baljak spoke to the attendees,[28]

"Writing is a skill that can be applied to any industry. It is my goal to improve my writing skills... to continuously develop myself in general. I feel that a lot of problems these days are due to lack of communication, and I think writing is a form of communication that we, as a people, need to improve on," said Baljak, a graduate of Cebu International School.[28]

Baljak is an avid reader who participated as an empowerment speaker and read books to children for the National Children's Book-Reading Day celebrated at SM Consolacion Mall alongside Miss Millennial Philippines 2018, Shaila Mae Rebortera. This event is part of the SM Cares’ Program for Children that takes an advocacy of promoting literacy and encouraging children to develop their love for reading at an early age.[29]

On October 19, 2017, Baljak guest spoke about her experiences in natural farming and environmental conservation at the Global Shapers Cebu's first Dream Festival which was A Grand Celebration of the Collective Dream of the Youth of Cebu that revealed the youth's collective dream aptly called S.H.A.P.E. Cebu—a Sustainable Holistic, Accessible, Productive and Engaged Cebu.[30][31]

In September 2018, Baljak also has volunteered at the Rise Above Foundation working hard in cooking and distributing meals to the children at the community center in Barangay Guadalajara, Guadalupe, Cebu.[32] In the same month, Baljak was a TEDx Speaker at the University of San Jose-Recoletos for their theme: Six Degrees of Separation.[33]

BaBeBoBs Beauty & Fitness Consultancy

In 2017, Baljak was twenty when she started her own business called "BaBeBoBs Beauty & Fitness Consultancy" in Cebu City.[34] Her business supports her weightlifting charity project for the youth called, Miss Cebu 2016's ASSY & BUTTS (Artemis Strength for Saving Youth and Boys Ultimate Test To Strength) where she led teams by organizing monthly weightlifting events from October 2017 to June 2018. Notable speakers like Hidilyn Diaz shared their expertise to inspire and uplift the youth through sport across remote and underprivileged areas of Cebu island. Topics ranged across well-being, fitness and health in front of audience from 100 to 3,000 local children, students and young adults in the areas.[35][36] As a women's empowerment advocate, Baljak shared her insights and motivated women across public and private sectors of all ages for the Women's Empowerment Conversation at South Town Centre for the mall's celebration of Women's Day on March 4, 2017. The theme "#BeBoldForChange" highlighted the vital role of women and women organizations in the community.[37]

In July 2017, Baljak chaired the board of judges for Miss Tourism Cebu. An event dedicated to promote Cebu as a tourism destination with its rich history and colorful culture. In partnership with Tourism and Hospitality Educators Association in the Visayas and is one of the highlights on the annual International Travel Festival.[38]

In February 2018, Baljak became the health and wellness columnist at Southwall Magazine, a nation-wide lifestyle magazine.[39]

In March 2018, Baljak emphasized the importance of waste management and waste reduction through offering environmental consultancy. A notable public speaking event was with the MCWD for World Water Day 2018 Youth Forum at a Public National High School in Cordova, Cebu. The World Water Day celebration themed as "The Answer is in Nature" focuses on how to reduce floods, droughts and water pollution.[40]

In September 2018, Baljak led a team and developed strategy for "#ProjectCORAL - Cebu's Oceans Rescued and Loved", a region-wide environmental clean-up project receiving coverage in national press. Key skills involved included: public relations strategy, production and implementation of mass survey, analysis and presentation of data to local business people and community leaders.[41]

By December 2018, Baljak offered sales and marketing consultancy for Golden Prince Hotel [42] and Shawarma Gourmet Cebu, amongst others, to deliver multi-channel marketing strategies to achieve the aims of the business, leading on all design related matters; also reviewing and analyzing data gathered online and at physical events. Proactively updating social and digital media strategy to enhance brand awareness and maximize client ROI.[43]

Weightlifting Charity Project

In an interview with Zee.PH, Baljak emphasized how important it is to be able to make a choice: either to be happy or angry despite the fact that reality bites at times and how pain can ride along with truth. In order to stay in the positive area, she has since been disciplining herself through her Strength Training Program, which has allowed her to become a better person by materializing her plans that seemed superficial for her two years back.

"I used to have goals, but I didn’t have the steps on how to do it. Now that I do, I can really stand for that you need to work on the plans even though people are not very favorable to you," she says.

With her health as her top priority, the results continue to improve up to this day as she marks her legacy one day at a time with her projects and businesses aligned to her advocacies. Her first and on-going project which started last October 2017, Artemis Strength for Saving Youth and Boys Ultimate Test to Strength—better known as ASSY and BUTTS, highlights a weightlifting activity.  Moreover, she has since been hosting one charity event every month until July 2018. The queen also had her share of struggle even after winning the crown, saying that people somehow established a perception of her as a "mere sexual icon" and a "fantasy" instead of seeing her on the other side of the limelight. Since establishing her own business, called BaBeBoBs Beauty & Fitness Consultancy, it has helped her materialize what she believes in.

"... That's why my Business name is a tease to everyone. Business wise it gets their attention. People like we women have more essence than being a sexual object. We can be nurturing, compassionate and strong, that’s why BaBeBoBs is there. BaBeBoBs is an acronym for my last name Baljak with Beauty, Body and Brains = BaBeBoBs." she explains.

Baljak admitted in the interview that living a healthy lifestyle is indeed expensive not just in a monetary sense, but also in terms of making one's personal growth a daily commitment. Her greatest source of motivation comes from idea of keeping a reputation and building a legacy for herself that her parents can be proud of keeps her going, as she believes that her every action makes a difference for the future generation.

"What I am doing now is creating avenues where the youth can come together to feel safe, be nurtured and when necessary, seek guidance. My weightlifting career is just a stepping stone for my means of getting the children’s attention to institute discipline in them."

Aside from being a strong influence for positive change, she is also a model, an artist, a coach and a consultant. One may wonder: what's difficult for her? Being quiet. As someone who believes and stands up for a lot of things, she confesses to having so much to do with too little time in a day. She truly is an epitome of a woman who knows what's important to her and continually works on improving herself through everything she does, may it be doing her hobbies or simply spending time with her beneficiaries. Just like the rest of us, she also has days where she needs time to rest.

"If by lazy you mean not working at maximum capacity then that is once a month when my dysmenorrhea hits. My mood is at its worst; I get weak and need to nap. I wake up and back to work!" she shares.

Part of Baljak's routine is lifting a barbell with a weight heavier than her last session. Contrary to common perception about models, she still loves to dress down on regular days by owning multiple pairs of the same shirt to save time and brainpower for more valuable decision-making. However, she still opts for dresses and comfortable pants on some days, and dresses up on special occasions. When it comes to inspiring young women who wants to pursue pageants, she advises,

"Have courage to embrace your femininity, show kindness to your peers and care about the choices you make for yourself—never underestimate the power of beauty sleep, a balanced diet with a training program and a dependable coach." [44]

#ProjectCORAL

Cebu's first freediving coral clean-up inline with the National Government's objective of "having a zero waste lifestyle, become environmentally conscious and aware about how the actions and choices affect our environment and communities." [45] The half-day event by Baljak and entrepreneur Karlo Soriano was supposed to be held on Sept. 15 but was moved to Sept. 22 due to unfavorable weather conditions caused by last month's Typhoon Ompong. Raine told The Freeman that she decided to hold the event in Luyang because this was where she did her charity event October of last year: Artemis Strength for Saving Youth and Boys Ultimate Test To Strength, or as Raine fondly abbreviates it, ASSY and BUTTS, which was about health and fitness. Just this July 2018, she learned that the locals were fisher folk and that there was an established sanctuary known as the Bantigue-Luyang Marine Sanctuary in the same area.

"I wondered, ‘How come people don’t know about this?" the 21-year-old PADI Advanced Open Water Diver said. "I then decided, why not do something that will complement the effort that we have? Because the sanctuary is actually well-maintained and very safe. When you go into the sanctuary it’s very vibrant and the corals are so diverse but when you go out of the area it’s a little different."

This is only the beginning, as Project CORAL aims to stage its second phase. Raine explained that the clean-up was to inspire and wake up the locals to not take for granted the beauty surrounding them. It also aims to inspire the volunteers to do the same to their own towns. The next phase, Raine said, will be all about education.

"Today, we’re emphasizing the need to clean up and maintain the things that we do. So today is intervention day. A wake-up call. The next phase is the education part where we hope to bring the project to the areas of the volunteers. Maybe go into dive workshops and marine lectures with marine biology students, professors, and coral propagators. I believe that education is a big part in making things sustainable. And it’s the next generation that will inherit the world. With that we have to enforce the value of why we’re doing this,"

Raine, who learned how to dive through her uncle, said she has always felt the ocean calling her name, later attained her AIDA Freediving License. And when she decided to do something about her passions (one of them including the seas), she put up a beauty and fitness consultancy business (BaBeBoBs Beauty and Fitness Consultancy) to fund her advocacies. She couldn't express her gratitude enough, seeing everyone come together for the humble cause.

"I’m so grateful for everyone who’s taken part in Project CORAL. Without the divers, I won’t have people to help me assess the area, the students and the people from P&L Medalle Realty who did work on land. And the sponsors who wanted to lend a hand. Even the fishermen let us borrow their boats even though they need it for their livelihood. The mayor let us shower in his home. The Coast Guard and the Navy came... Lots of different people lending a hand because they believe in this. Sometimes, it just takes an idea and how you believe in it and how you work for it. Life has a very interesting way when things start from an idea and it’s up to you. Are you going to do something? Or are you going to wait until your dead? If you believe in something, you really have to work for it. If it’s not enough then ask for help, or other people might offer help. But you have to initiate it yourself because if you don’t set an example, then why would someone else want to do it?" [46]

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