“Pinay ka talaga.”
That was the sentiment echoed by many in the comments section of Filipino-American Miss Universe 2022 R’Bonney Gabriel’s TikTok post, where she was seen transferring drinking water from one container to another, a common practice among Filipinos.
On June 8, the beauty queen uploaded a video of herself carefully pouring water from a round dispenser into a rectangular one, proudly noting that she did not spill a single drop.
“First time without spilling any water,” she wrote as a caption on her post with a raised hands emoji.
“I’m really proud of myself for this,” R’Bonney also said in the video.
@rbonneynolaFirst time without spilling any water 🙌🏼♬ Just A Girl – No Doubt
Her video has earned 49,000 likes, 989 bookmarks, and over 630 comments from TikTok users, including Filipinos who found her content “relatable.”
“She’s so Pinay in her contents. It almost feels like she grew up in the [Philippine] provinces and as someone from the poor/middle class sector, I feel like I could talk to her anytime and not feel small. Like she’s someone I can easily relate to,” a TikTok user wrote.
“Jusko ka! Hahahaha ‘di mo maitatago ang dugong Pinoy mo. Hahaha,” another exclaimed.
“That water jug is so Filipino coded, just like the queen herself,” another Pinoy said.
“Pinay ka talaga, hahaha,” another commented.
“So cute. That’s very Philippines,” a different TikTok user commented.
Water dispensers are common around the world—not just in the Philippines. However, while many countries have easy access to drinkable tap water, this is not the case for all areas in the Philippines. As a result, many Filipinos rely on water dispensers or refill stations for their daily supply of clean drinking water.
Meanwhile, R’Bonney has been traveling to and from the Philippines since her reign as Miss Universe ended.
She has been exploring her Filipino heritage by going to Sunday markets, shopping in Cartimar and commuting via motorcycle taxis, among other activities.
The beauty queen is born to Malate native Remigio Gabriel and American Dana Walker from Texas.
ALSO READ: More R’Bonney Gabriel stories here
