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Miss Universe 2018 and arts ambassador Catriona Gray

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Karen Flores

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1769755873292615559840_1309490971222169_4471350620600726228_n.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-dragging" alt="Miss Universe 2018 and arts ambassador Catriona Gray (center) poses with officials of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts during the launch of National Arts Month 2026. Photo from NCCA"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Miss Universe 2018 and arts ambassador Catriona Gray (center) poses with officials of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts during the launch of National Arts Month 2026. <em>Photo from NCCA</em></span></span></span></div><p>Catriona Gray has been dubbed by many as the best Miss Universe ever, and it&#x27;s easy to see why.</p><p>Nearly a decade since winning the coveted crown, the Filipino-Australian beauty continues to use her platform for good. Beyond <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/pageants-beauty-queens/2026/1/5/catriona-gray-hosts-birthday-fundraiser-for-5th-year-1510">helping causes related to health</a> and education, she has been tirelessly using her voice to promote Filipino arts and culture.</p><p>Gray recently graced the launch of National Arts Month (NAM) 2026 at Centro de Turismo Intramuros in Manila, marking her seventh year as an ambassador for the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). </p><p>The former beauty queen is an artist herself, showing her creativity through <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/pageants-beauty-queens/2025/11/28/catriona-gray-back-to-making-music-releases-new-song-every-christmas-1312">music</a>, <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/2025/8/13/catriona-gray-s-sustainable-bag-collab-wins-awards-1917">fashion</a>, <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2025/3/7/catriona-gray-launches-furniture-collection-in-partnership-with-local-brand-1817">furniture design</a>, and <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/2025/7/24/catriona-gray-is-in-her-content-creator-era-and-she-continues-to-slay-1424">content creation</a>.</p><p>&quot;There are so many different forms of art,&quot; she noted. &quot;And I&#x27;m so excited to see that this [National Arts Month] has a more collaborative approach to the various forms of art, which allows us to open our minds to experience new things and to be inspired in different ways.&quot;</p><p>NAM is observed every February in accordance with Presidential Proclamation No. 683. This year&#x27;s theme is &quot;Ani ng Sining: Katotohanan at Giting,&quot; underscoring the power of the arts to speak the truth and inspire courage that reflect the Filipino spirit.</p><p>The 2026 celebration will take place across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao and will span seven art forms: architecture and allied arts, cinema, dance, dramatic arts, literary arts, music, and visual arts. </p><p>It has plenty of activities lined up, from the concert and parade at Luneta Park on February 1 to art workshops, theater productions, exhibitions, and multimedia performances throughout the month.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DTzH_S0iQ1Q/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);margin:1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:calc(100% - 2px)"><div style="padding:16px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DTzH_S0iQ1Q/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="background:#FFFFFF;line-height:0;padding:0 0;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:100%" target="_blank"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;align-items:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:40px;margin-right:14px;width:40px"><br/></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:100px"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:60px"><br/></div></div></div><div style="padding:19% 0"><br/></div><div style="display:block;height:50px;margin:0 auto 12px;width:50px"><br/></div><div style="padding-top:8px"><div style="color:#3897f0;line-height:18px">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding:12.5% 0"><br/></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;margin-bottom:14px;align-items:center"><div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(0px) translateY(7px)"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;height:12.5px;transform:rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px);width:12.5px;flex-grow:0;margin-right:14px;margin-left:2px"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(9px) translateY(-18px)"><br/></div></div><div style="margin-left:8px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:20px;width:20px"><br/></div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:2px solid transparent;border-left:6px solid #f4f4f4;border-bottom:2px solid transparent;transform:translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"><br/></div></div><div style="margin-left:auto"><div style="width:0px;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(16px)"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;flex-grow:0;height:12px;width:16px;transform:translateY(-4px)"><br/></div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(-4px) translateX(8px)"><br/></div></div></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center;margin-bottom:24px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:224px"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:144px"><br/></div></div></a><div style="color:#c9c8cd;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DTzH_S0iQ1Q/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color:#c9c8cd;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by National Commission for Culture and the Arts (@nccaofficial)</a></div></div></blockquote><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>Gray is particularly looking forward to Art FriDates, where artists and cultural workers get to showcase their creativity on all Fridays of February at the Blackbox Theater of the <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/people-culture-events/2026/1/15/likhang-filipino-reopens-in-pasay-as-year-round-hub-for-local-crafts-and-exports-1918">reopened Likhang Filipino complex</a> in Pasay City. </p><p>Six local and provincial governments will be part of this weekly event, which is open to the public for free.</p><p>The Miss Universe 2018 titleholder expressed gratitude to the NCCA and other stakeholders behind NAM as they continue to &quot;give us spaces that all our art to be spotlighted.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Thank you for continuing to create opportunities where Filipino art can really be elevated to the global stage, because that&#x27;s where we belong,&quot; she said.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1769759356775616017948_1309490977888835_712875678902196526_n.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Photo from NCCA"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"><em>Photo from NCCA</em></span></span></span></div><p>While she currently enjoys a wide audience as a result of her outstanding performance on the Miss Universe stage, Gray acknowledged how it could be discouraging for some artists who do not get enough attention or recognition for their work.</p><p>She reminded her fellow creatives present during the NAM 2026 launch that art, first and foremost, is a personal experience and is valuable in itself.</p><p>&quot;Minsan kasi sa pursuit of art, it would feel a little bit frustrating, mas lalo sa society ngayon that likes to measure the impact through likes and shares and engagement,&quot; the NCCA arts ambassador said. &quot;[But] when you&#x27;re creating something that is so dear to you, it feels personal, like you birthed something in this world.&quot;</p><p>Gray believes that like small acts of kindness, a work of art can make a huge impact on someone&#x27;s life, and that is enough reason to keep creating. </p><p>&quot;Artist ka man o hindi, there&#x27;s a pivotal moment in your life that you witnessed a performance, a song, a spoken word, a film that really spoke to you. Maybe it encouraged you in what you&#x27;re going through, maybe as an artist it made you feel like this kind of art exists, or maybe it made you feel something,&quot; she said.</p><p>&quot;Sometimes, that is enough for us to be encouraged in our pursuit of art,&quot; the former beauty queen ended.</p>

<p>Catriona Gray recently graced the launch of National Arts Month, marking her seventh year as an ambassador for the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.</p>

Catriona Gray recently graced the launch of National Arts Month, marking her seventh year as an ambassador for the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

This National Arts Month 2026, Catriona Gray encourages Filipinos to keep creating

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This National Arts Month 2026, Catriona Gray encourages Filipinos to keep creating

Karen Flores Layno,

ABS-CBN News

Published January 30, 2026 04:36 PM PHT

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