Filipino-Palestinian Gazini Ganados says speaking for Palestine cost her brand deals

Filipino-Palestinian beauty queen Gazini Ganados loses endorsements after taking a vocal stand for Palestine.

Gazini Ganados has long used her platform to speak about causes close to her heart. Now, the Filipino-Palestinian beauty queen says taking a public stand for Palestine has also come at a professional cost.

The Miss Universe Philippines 2019 titleholder recently revealed that some brands have declined to work with her since she became more vocal about Palestine, where her father and his family remain amid the ongoing conflict.

“There are brands that are declining to get me only because they don’t want to get involved with the political division that is happening, since that I’m now more vocal about being a Palestinian supporter as a Filipina-Palestinian myself,” Gazini said in an interview with Arab News journalist Baker Atyani.

Despite losing potential endorsement opportunities, Ganados said she has no plans to quiet down.

For her, the advocacy is deeply personal. She reunited with her Palestinian father after winning Miss Universe Philippines in 2019 and has since remained connected to her Palestinian roots. She is now working to help her father and his family leave Gaza, a process she said requires multiple government and diplomatic approvals. 

Her advocacy has also become part of how she publicly understands her identity.

During the Miss Grand International All Stars 2026 competition, Ganados described herself as a Filipina-Palestinian and spoke about carrying her Palestinian heritage with pride. She has previously said that learning more about the situation in Palestine helped her better understand her identity beyond the titles and glamour associated with pageantry.

Ganados also addressed comments questioning whether speaking up for Palestine makes her any less Filipino.

“Sometimes, even Filipinos are telling me…just because I’m raising my voice for Palestine, they’re telling me that I’m more into my Palestine roots than my Filipino blood,” she said.

“But all my life, I’ve lived in the Philippines and I am more Filipina than ever. I know different dialects and I don’t need to prove them anything because I know my truth.”

She also admitted that she was initially unsure about where she stood on the issue, saying she had not done enough research at first. As she learned more, however, she became more vocal about her position.

“I was confused at first, I didn’t know where to side because I did not do a back research, or I didn’t know enough before. But now that I have done my research, then I have been siding with humanity for quite a while now,” she said.

Ganados’ experience discusses the possible professional consequences of taking public positions on contentious issues, particularly for public figures whose careers include commercial partnerships.

In her case, however, her advocacy is closely tied to her identity and family. As a Filipino-Palestinian, Ganados has continued to use her platform to speak about Palestine while also trying to help her father and his family leave Gaza.

READ: