Meet Megan Digal
Miss Universe Philippines Bukidnon 2021, Entrepreneur, Surfer
"No journey is smooth sailing, but I have experience to gain and lessons to learn – and I'll live to tell the tale."
Megan's life is defined by her love for adventure and taking leaps. In 2019, she decided to move to Phuket, Thailand, to build a career in marketing after living in the Philippines her whole life. By 2021, she declined a job offer in the Maldives to represent Bukidnon in Miss Universe Philippines, where she championed inclusivity and self-love – values she passionately stands for as a morena. “The more people questioned how I made it to the competition with ‘subpar’ physical attributes for beauty queen standards, the more I proved my point,” she says.
Megan credits her independence and fearlessness to her parents' insistence on being exposed to the world through travelling even when she was younger. As much as the 28-year-old believes in finding oneself by going out and doing, she also sees value in slowing down and listening. Growing up in the bustling city of Cagayan de Oro, Megan eagerly anticipated summers and holidays in Bukidnon with her father's side of the family. "At a young age, I already knew I preferred slow living over the busy city life," she reflects. This desire for a slower, nature-oriented life manifested in her decision to move to Mati in 2023 – a life she had always envisioned for herself.
Currently, if she isn’t overseeing her restaurant’s operations or managing tasks for her virtual assistant job, you will find Megan tending to her herb garden or surfing if the tides allow. When asked what she would tell her younger self, she responds: “You would be so glad you didn’t give in to the pressure of fitting in and stayed true to your heart, because that led us to where we are now.”
On the women in her family as her role models
In a patriarchal culture where men are generally seen as the hustlers and women as the homemakers, the women in my family - my role models - were both. They inspired me to become just like them: strong, resilient, and graceful in the face of challenges.
Both my grandmothers raised their children and tended to their homes while maintaining their full time jobs - my Mommyla (maternal grandmother) used to be a professional teacher turned government employee, and my Mama Ely (paternal grandmother) served as a professional nurse up until her retirement.
My mother gave birth to me at a very young age. It was fun growing up with young parents and while I know it was challenging for them, they somehow pulled it off - especially my mother. I would not know how to handle raising children of my own at this age, let alone at 18 like my mother did. So I’m always grateful for how she raised me the best way she knew how. The way she has shown unconditional love for me and my three brothers inspired me to love just as much. I’ve seen in her what it’s like to be soft yet strong, humble but also able to stand up for myself.
On her love for adventure and taking big leaps
My frequent travels with my parents when I was younger played a huge part in forging my great love for adventure. It might also be the reason behind my independence and fearlessness.
A lot of the major leaps I took in my life were born out of spontaneity. I would often ask myself, “If not now, when?”
Living in fear will not enrich my knowledge in navigating unfamiliar places I travel to and won’t help me get out of my comfort zone. I wouldn’t be enjoying this coastal life in Mati - something I have always dreamt of since the first time I’ve ever been to Dahican Beach. I wouldn’t have the satisfaction of surfing a few steps away from my backyard. I wouldn’t have had the privilege to find the balance between work and life. I wouldn’t be doing what I love had I led with fear.
On building a career overseas
Moving to Thailand was an easy decision. There was nothing to lose and so much for me to gain. I get to be in a new environment where I can unlock opportunities. My first job was as a communications agent at a smaller hotel in Phuket. It opened doors for me to be hired at Hilton months after, where I went on to become a Marketing Communications Coordinator.
Having worked in the hospitality industry, I didn’t just learn corporate operations. I also went on to absorb various little skills from different departments in the hotel. It contributed to much of the food & beverage knowledge that I have now.
Bonding with colleagues and having connected with other hoteliers, I learned a lot of helpful and fascinating techniques especially from chefs – particularly about pasta! I didn’t know how to cook pasta properly until I became a hotelier. Since then, making pasta has become an obsession. I’d cook pasta for myself almost everyday now.
As for marketing, I love the creative aspect of it. I used to handle the social media and online accounts of Hilton Phuket and took care of press trips and all sorts of photo and video shoots. It’s a bummer that the hotel has now been disenfranchised and has rebranded, so all the accounts have been deactivated. My favorite part was doing food photoshoots for new products and promos, then getting to try them all afterwards. I would also model for wedding shoots including one for Indian event planners just a few days after I joined Hilton.
During my time, I met some influencers and international celebrities like Vanness Wu of the Taiwanese boy band F4, and took care of them during their stay. Too bad I tried to be professional and non-chalant so I didn’t bother to ask for photos.
As a hotelier, no matter what your job assignment is, you get trained to work flexibly around the different departments doing some tasks you never imagined you’d do, and I love how enriching that experience has been.
As a VA at present, looking back to my days at Hilton Phuket makes me miss working onsite at a busy resort.
I had a good 3-year run until the pandemic completely disabled the industry for a while. It was very timely that in the same year, I had the opportunity to join Miss Universe Philippines and return home. I had a few job offers to consider but it could never compete against an opportunity to join MUPH.
On what the Philippines could learn from Thailand
Hospitality-wise, I find Thais and Filipinos so alike. I love how we much we have in common like our warmth, family-centeredness, our love for food and pageantry!
One thing I wish the Philippines could learn from Thailand is leveraging the country’s natural wonders with the use of digital media to boost international tourism with Destination Marketing. Having worked in Marketing Communications for hospitality brands like Hilton and Hyatt, I’ve seen how the Tourism Authority of Thailand heavily invested on Destination Marketing hand-in-hand with hotels and local businesses, to sustain their booming tourism industry and provide lots of opportunities for local livelihood and businesses to thrive.
Our natural wonders here in our home country can definitely compete with the more popular ones that I’ve been to in Thailand and Indonesia. The Philippines has so much potential to become a rising international destination if we invest in it.
On lessons from competing in MUPH
Competing in my first national pageant in the middle of a pandemic was both humbling and empowering at the same time. I learned how to innovate, be resourceful, make the most out of the very little that I had, and most importantly - think big and think ahead. It felt like Survivor and The Amazing Race all at once.
I used to rely mostly on myself to solve problems but the experience has taught me that it’s okay to ask for help and sometimes, it takes a village to make a big difference.
I was also reminded of the need to constantly evolve and learn new ways or risk being left behind, and that it’s okay to be a beginner.
The experience has helped me a lot in learning how to survive even in the most difficult situations, and most of all, to be grateful.
On a funny memory from MUPH
I flew straight from Thailand to Manila for the pageant and never really got the chance to go home to Bukidnon or anywhere else since movement was limited during the pandemic. I spent most of my time eating all the Filipino food that I’ve dearly missed in the three years that I spent away from the Philippines. One of the perks of joining MUPH was getting to enjoy the food from the many functions and sponsors that we had so I indulged as much as I could. There was one instance where I convinced some of the girls to order Jollibee with me and have it delivered to our hotel in Pampanga. I did this for at least two consecutive nights. On the next night, I got so tired that I fell asleep while trying to place an order with the phone still in-hand. I left them hanging and hungry!
On loving the skin she’s in
I was convinced I was ugly growing up. I was darker than most kids in school because I would spend weekends at the beach. I would be bullied for my skin color being “itom” (dark). I endured name-calling and body shaming so that naturally affected my self-esteem. I thought scrubbing my skin with whitening soap would make me prettier. Mind you, my shade of tan then is nothing compared to the shade of tan I am proudly wearing now.
Then I got the chance to travel and immerse myself in diverse cultures. I saw that beauty comes in a wide array of shades, shapes, and sizes. My perception of beauty changed. I thought, “Yes, light-skinned girls are pretty, but so are dark-skinned girls. Both can be true.”
I realized I didn’t have to worry about sacrificing my love for the beach and the outdoors in fear of getting darker. I learned how to embrace my sun-kissed skin, especially after getting compliments on my tan from foreign friends.
I also realized the problem was a lack of portrayal and representation in Philippine media. I was used to seeing only one type of beauty in an artista on TV when I was growing up. I was conditioned into thinking that their Western beauty was the standard. I’d also personally attest to how heavily airbrushed photos in magazines and billboards promoting unrealistic standards also played a huge role in why a lot of young girls grow up with insecurities over things that are supposed to be normal. I used to be one of those girls who heavily fixated on impossible perfection and hated myself for not being as beautiful as the celebrities who looked so different from me.
On championing inclusivity and self-love
As soon as my mindset on beauty standards shifted, I wanted to become the person that I needed when I was young and insecure. I wanted to set a healthy example for women and young girls. So when the opportunity to compete for MUPH came, aside from carrying the pride of representing Bukidnon for the first time, I was also determined to champion inclusivity and self-love. What better way to do so than by breaking pageant stereotypes as I proudly flaunted my skin, imperfect teeth (I purposely refused to wear veneers), and stretch marks?
If we focused more on what women bring to the table other than their physical beauty – which, by the way, is subjective – and if we paid more attention to women’s desire in creating positive change than we do in scrutinizing their flaws, then beauty pageants would be so much more meaningful, which is thankfully the direction we are slowly heading toward, and I’m proud to become a part of that.
On falling in love with Mati
My love for surfing, nature, slow living, and the locals brought me to settle in Mati. The first time I came here was with my family in the summer of 2013. That was a year after I first learned to surf in Siargao. I wanted to pursue surfing so I researched for similar off-the-beaten paths and found out about Dahican on the internet. Luckily, I have an adventurous mom who was totally game to make the trip. It took us 8 hours of driving from Bukidnon and the moment we set foot on the majestic Dahican Beach we immediately fell in love! Our long journey was worth it.
At the time, the road to Dahican Beach wasn’t completely paved and there weren’t too many established resorts or homestays just yet. There were, in fact, more coconut trees than business establishments in the area where we stayed which coincidentally is within my neighborhood at present! I can still recall asking my mom to extend our stay and I kept wishing for a chance to live and surf here, or somewhere similar at least. I promised myself I’d come back one day when I’d have the means to travel independently – so I did!
Fast forward to 9 years later in 2022, my cousin Mary brought me to visit and stay at her close friend Karl’s beachfront house in Bangunay. After not having surfed for almost a year, I was so happy to finally get back in the water and promised to return during surf season which happened in February of 2023. In the following months, Mary and I visited Mati frequently, staying in Bangunay and Dahican. By then I was already growing more familiar with the place and made friends with locals. I also formed an almost instant connection with Peter whom I’d already met 10 years prior, in 2013.
Because my friends Mary and Karl were “serial chillers” and weren’t as eager to surf and be outdoors as I am, Peter became my all-around companion and surf buddy. Since my main pals also don’t happen to be early risers, Peter brought me to my first turtle hatching/releasing experience without them which was one of the many things that got me even more fascinated with Dahican. Our common passion for surfing, nature, marine wildlife, music, food, and the community brought me and Peter closer.
On opening up a local-friendly restaurant in Dahican
Stability isn’t always guaranteed as a freelance Virtual Assistant with mostly project-based jobs. Because of this, I pondered on how I could make money doing something I love in a place that I love. I’d eventually open up a humble little surf restaurant with Peter the same year I moved here. This would be my first hand at running my own business.
Putting up a very simple local-friendly restaurant has always been the vision. To welcome guests from different walks of life – especially surfers – and other visitors who want to experience Mati and Dahican through food. I’d feel immense gratitude when locals dine and come back several more times after their first visit. I enjoy meeting and having interesting conversations with some of them both from Dahican and the main city area.
On her morning routine
First thing when I get up, I check my phone for emails or notifications. Then I get out of bed and check on my cat - baby Blue - if he didn’t already wake me up with his meows. I give him a few belly rubs and if he allows it, we’ll cuddle a bit. Then I’d walk to the garden to check on the plants so I could water them. I grow my basil for cooking along with other seedlings that were given to me like the chilis my dad got me from our backyard in Bukidnon, some parsley and mint from a friend. I’m sentimental about stuff that people give me, so I want my plants alive and thriving.
When I’m done with the plants, I walk a few steps to the beachfront to check the waves. If they’re good, I’ll run back to smother sunscreen all over my face, put on the first suit I can find, and wax up my surfboard. When there are no waves, I make myself a cup of either iced matcha or iced chocolate and contemplate whether I’ll have breakfast first or just do some work.
On what advice she would give people who want to move to Mati
Respect and love the locals, and the unspoiled natural landscapes of this paradise! Because when you do things out of love, with love, and for love, everything else falls into place. Same goes when you genuinely love the place you’re in. My love for Mati, surfing, the local surfer kids, my neighbors/newfound friends, and this city’s wonders, helped me overcome some of life’s challenges as I moved away from my comfort zone to explore what other surprises life has in store for me. So yes, lead with love!
