As we all know by now, the pandemic has forced us to spend most of our time indoors. This is true even for celebs, and for Binibining Pilipinas Grand International 2016 Nicole Cordoves, life has definitely slowed down. A busy working girl and go-getter, she admits that she, too, wasn’t used to spending so much time at home. Just like everyone, however, Nicole also discovered new skills and passions and eventually realized that there is so much to be grateful for.
“All that I’ve been doing since March is to learn as much as I can from a lot of rich sources online, particularly on YouTube. I never thought I would learn so much in such a short amount of time,” she shares. “I used to just stay on my phone or binge on Netflix when I’m not doing anything, but one thing good that came out of this pandemic is I learned to utilize the power of the internet more and increase my knowledge on things that interest me. I am just so glad that I was able to upgrade my home internet plan easily with the PLDT Home Super Speed Deal. It’s fast, reliable, and very affordable.”
When the community quarantine was announced, Nicole agreed that it was necessary to keep everyone safe and protected. “There were already warning signs prior to the lockdown and I had a number of events getting cancelled due to health protocols,” she recalls. “I was actually more surprised by how long the lockdown has dragged on. I didn’t think we’d lose an entire year because of it.”
To keep herself busy indoors, Nicole has been putting her cooking skills to the test and trying new recipes with help from PLDT Home Fibr, which allows her to watch more of her favorite YouTube content and remain productive at home.
When it comes to her realizations during the lockdown, Nicole shares: “Though the pandemic is something that really brought so much suffering to millions around the world, it did make all of us become closer. And with everyone being forced to stay at home for their own protection, having the right internet connection speed is a necessary tool. I was able to keep up with balancing work from home and doing interviews online in the past nine months because of it.”
Nicole points out that upgrading your internet connection at home is a must, especially for households with multiple-device requirements. Since she uses the net to join video calls for online classes, host livestreams, do off-site tapings, and stream Netflix shows, she knew that she needed a fast and reliable internet connection that could cater to her busy lifestyle.
“I need to be online all the time, so I upgraded my PLDT Home Fibr internet with their Super Speed Promo,” she quips. PLDT Home’s Super Speed Deal promo gives subscribers a convenient and same-day upgrade of up to 2x their internet speeds for as low as P99 additional on their monthly plan.
Since the pandemic, she also became a certified plantita (or in her case, a halamom!). In fact, she now has a corner in her room that’s filled with indoor plants that also serves as her go-to background for her Zoom calls.
“It all started with indoor plants that progressed to actually growing my own food on my balcony. Today, I harvest my own sili, sitaw, and kamatis.” She even made a series on IGTV that’s dedicated to her halamom journey!
Nicole also kept herself busy and productive at home by mentoring the Binibining Pilipinas 2020 hopefuls with Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray. But due to the pandemic, adjustments to their training had to be made, and workshops were held online via Zoom instead.
“It was challenging since online workshops can leave out a lot of things that are essential to public speaking like non-verbal communication, gesture, body language. So we dedicated our modules to focus on content instead, and the girls blew us away,” she recounts. “In true Binibining Pilipinas fashion, they came and they conquered.”
She adds: “Since my time in Binibining Pilipinas and even before that, I made it a point in my life to continue to further my knowledge by continuously improving myself. Being a mentor now to these ladies—all of them beautiful and deserving queens in their own right—feels so validating and empowering. I only hope that imparting my experience and knowledge to them helps equip them with what they need to achieve their dreams and live their best lives.”
Nicole admits that she sees a queen in Rabiya Mateo, this year’s Miss Universe 2020. “When I saw her preliminary interview, she immediately became my bet! She spoke so naturally while courageously sharing her own opinion. She’s already an amazing queen who can really connect with people on a real level,” she explains.
And knowing that the journey to get the crown is heavy and burdensome, Nicole aptly gives Rabiya a piece of advice, from one queen to another: “When it gets dark, I hope she remembers that she is the light. Your destiny is in your hands, make it a beautiful and memorable one.”
Know more about how you too can upgrade your digital lifestyle at home just like Nicole. With the Super Speed Deals promo, PLDT Home gives subscribers the added convenience of upgrading their internet speeds by simply dialing 170 for PLDT, Smart and Sun or (02) 80000170 for other network (toll charges apply). Visit www.pldthome.com/superspeed and find the best internet speed for your home.