Belle Mariano recently made headlines as she starred in her first-ever live solo concert earlier this month. While the show displayed the star’s musicality and artistry, it also brought forward themes of self-love because of her empowering setlist.
That said, Belle didn’t hesitate to open up about her personal insecurities in an interview prior to her show. “Tanggap ko namang imperfect ako,” she confessed to Vice Ganda, who asked her about the real reason behind her choice of songs. “It’s our imperfections that make us perfect.”
“I think that’s what I like, na parang we learn to embrace our imperfections. I think that’s what makes us really stick to our core and love ourselves more,” she added.
Pressed about the details of her self-doubt, Belle revealed that she used to be cautious of her weight during her early days in the entertainment industry. In fact, she was so self-conscious that she eventually started recording all her calories and limiting her food intake.
“Siguro body image. Kasi before talaga, as in sobrang weight-conscious ko. As in binibilang ko calories ko, ganyan. I never saw myself [as] perfect physically,” she revealed, admitting that she particularly thought her hips were too wide. “Balakang ko, ang laki. Sabi ko nga kay Mama, ‘Ba’t parang lahat ng ayaw kong mapunta sa’kin, napunta sa’kin?’”
Fortunately, Belle has already found ways to boost her own confidence since then. She continued, “Tapos in-embrace ko siya and now, parang I just do what I wanna do. Ginagawa ko nalang kung ano ‘yung hinahanap ng katawan ko, kung ano gusto kong kainin.”
Belle has also learned to ignore bashers and rude comments on social media thanks to her loyal legion of fans. “You know how noisy social media can get. Kapag sinasabi, ‘Ay, ang pangit ng buhok niya. Ang pangit ng ganyan.’ Parang noise na lang ‘yun once natanggap mo na ‘yung sarili mo,” Belle explained.
“Up to this day, hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala ‘yung amount ng support na binibigay nila sa amin,” she concluded. “Parang sinasabi ko nalang na siguro a flower has its time to bloom talaga.”
We’re proud of how far you’ve come, Belle!
To learn more about Belle, check out her exclusive Preview video below:
*This story originally appeared on Preview.ph. Minor edits have been made by the Candymag.com editors.
From The Candy Bulletin Community
