May 10, 2024
MANILA – Miss Universe 2022 R’Bonney Gabriel learned first-hand how a jeepney ride could be terrifying and, as in her case, bump-inducing, but she drew praises from netizens for navigating the experience with grace and poise worthy of her crown.
In a short Instagram video last May 8, the Filipino-American beauty queen poked fun at her not-so-smooth experience while riding the Philippines’ so-called “King of the Road” recently, all while still maintaining her composure.
Gabriel was in her casual clothes inside the traditional vehicle, with one hand holding tightly on the handrail on the ceiling.
“When you’re terrified there’s no seatbelt in the jeepney and you don’t know what’s your stop so you just accept your fate,” she captioned her video.
The lanky model also added in the post’s caption: “I hit my head too,” alongside the hashtags “jeepney,” “jeepney ride” and “diary of a Fil-Am.”
Fans praised Gabriel for her simplicity, while some were suggesting hilarious phrases on how the beauty queen should tell the the driver to stop the vehicle.
Gabriel, whose father grew up in the busy streets of Malate, Manila, has been staying in the country since April 13, and has been immersing herself in the Filipino way of life, on top of her Miss Universe duties. The Texas-born fashion designer had recently been to Divisoria to look for fabrics and threads and learned to do the “tawad” (haggle for prices) with local merchants.
Prior to her jeepney experience, Gabriel spent two days in Bohol where she explored the beaches and the Chocolate Hills; had guestings in the GMA shows “TiktoClock” and “Eat Bulaga,” where she was gifted with her favorite food items like ensaimadas and salted eggs.
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