14/05/2024
Hung Pham / Executive Director
Miss Cosmo International - Australia
Miss Royalty International - Australia
ERICA HANNA
Tell us your full name and something about yourself.
My name is Erica Janine Hanna, 34 years old. I am a proud domestic violence survivor and a single mother of
my little 4-year-old child, Ellie Julia Hanna. I am a professional International Model, Beauty Queen, Creative
and Performing Artist, Philanthropist and a small business owner.
My background is Spanish, Japanese and Filipino. Having a unique ethnic background has given me great
interest in multiculturalism. I have always been fascinated with many different cultures and traditions
because it has made the world colourful and vibrant.
I have appeared in several commercials in Australia including Formula 1, and Head and Shoulders and have
graced the runways in Melbourne Shopping Festival, Bridal Expos, Fashion Aid and many others. I have also
previously done independent feature and short films that were shown in fil festivals in Melbourne.
Besides, Australia’s Royalty Pageants which I’m currently a part of, I have also been part of Miss Teen
Philippines 2008, Miss Fresh Face 2006, Miss Cebu Philippines 2011, Mrs. Universe Australia 2022, Shining
Light Pageant Australia, where I have successful placed and been given special awards. I have also judged
pageants overseas. I have never been the main winner in any pageants yet, but I have dedicated myself to
keep trying.
As a Philanthropist, I have supported many charities in the Philippines and here in Australia through
monetary donations, participating and creating events for them and as well as doing live performances to
raise funds. I have been supporting KYTHE Foundation consisting of cancer-stricken children and Children
of Cebu Foundation consisting abused children. In Australia, I have given my support to Ballarat Autism
Network during the “Walk For Autism” event, The Good Friday Appeal for the benefit of the Royal Children’s
hospital. I have also supported many other charities such as the Starlight Foundation.
I have recently finished volunteering as a remote Refugee Career Mentor under Deakin CREATE which
stands for Centre of Refugee Employment, Advocacy, Training and Education at my alma mater, Deakin
University.
Educating myself and increasing my awareness in many different areas of study have always been amongst
my greatest passions in life.
I have a degree in Interior Design from the University of San Carlos in Cebu, Philippines and I’m a Master of
Creative Arts from Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia. I am also currently doing a Graduate Diploma
in Psychology at Monash University, with the intention to practice Art Therapy while being a Psychologist
in the future. Having survived severe domestic violence incidents in the past has brought me to a decision to
help women and children who are victim-survivors. Although both men and women have experienced
domestic violence, I believe women and children need more support due to world statistics. I have also
attained a certificate in Leadership and Communication through Harvard EdX Online’s scholarship that I
have received. I am forever grateful with it.
As an entrepreneurial Creative, I have built a small business in the children’s entertainment industry called
Royal Fairytales, that I have been very passionate with. It has been running since 2017 and I’m so proud of
spreading joy to many families all over Victoria. I have been very passionate in singing like a real Disney
princess and being on top of the costume details and making sure that they are true to life, so I could bring a
Disneyland experience. I am linked with a costume maker overseas that makes replica costumes from head
to toe and are licensed by Disney. It has been a joy working with them and the goal has always been to give
families a very magical and memorable experience.
Overall, besides all my achievements in life, I am glad that I and my daughter have survived an incident in
2022, which was very unfortunate. I am glad that I am still breathing, fighting and continuously inspiring
people as a national finalist of this prestigious pageant, Australia’s Royalty Pageants. If chosen to be the Global
Elite Media Queen Ambassador, I will definitely be honoured and I will continue to inspire everyone.
1. How did you get into the pageantry industry?
While being a professional model, my agent overseas has seen great potential in me as a beauty queen, so he
decided to give me encouragement and support. He trained me to be a beauty queen and has successfully
entered me in my first pageant, Miss Teen Philippines International 2008 where I won double awards. Since
then, my pageant journey continued, while I was working as a fashion model and studying to be an Interior
Designer.
2. What do you like most about being a pageantry?
The camaraderie has been an aspect in pageantry that I have always enjoyed. In my journey in pageantry, I
have met a few lovely ladies who have become good friends of mine. Despite being in a competition, I have
always adored how we have sisterhood. How we basically fix each other’s crowns show what true beauty
queens really are.
3. Are there any downsides to pageantry? What can you do to make a difference?
Depending on the type of pageantry you are involved in, discrimination sometimes happens. It saddens me
that body and gender shaming have been happening. I believe that we are all beautiful in our own way.
Whether you are a male, female, transgender, gender neutral, non-binary, agender, pangender, genderqueer,
two-spirit, third gender and all other types, we have a right to shine and express ourselves. As a beauty queen,
I will also be an advocate for people who have been discriminated in pageants. This prestigious pageant,
Australia’s Royalty Pageants, will be a great platform for me to be able to promote my advocacy through
online videos where I will be talking about gender equality. Attending special events is also a way for me to
promote and pitch my advocacies.
4. What has been the most memorable experience of being in the pageantry industry so far?
Feeding the children on the streets in Cebu, Philippines has been amongst the best experiences I’ve ever had
as a beauty queen. We went above and beyond as a team of queens to reach out to organisations and businesses
to gain sponsorships to feed the hungry children and give them further support. The event we have organised
during our reign as Miss Cebu, Philippines 2011 was indeed very successful and memorable. The experience
was also quite emotional because we saw the undeniable joy and gratefulness on the children’s faces. We
were also very grateful that they have allowed us to have such an experience that we will always be cherished
in our hearts.
5. Who have been the most interesting people you've met so far?
I have been grateful to have met the wonderful pageant organisers, Hung and Keri. They have been very
understanding of my current situation with my little daughter. Australia’s Royalty Pageants have made me
feel that I am family to them. I am forever grateful with the genuine support they have given me as a national finalist who is a domestic violence survivor. It was also a delight to have gotten to know my fellow kings and
queens in this pageant, online during our meetings and as well as in other group conversation we’ve had so
far. I haven’t met them yet in person, but the overall vibe of the group is vibrant, friendly, and caring. It’s
interesting how we all come from all walks of life with our own beauty, opinions and styles, just hearing
everyone’s introductions, but we are all united as one big team.
6. What has been the most valuable lesson you've learned while in this prestigious industry? This can
be about the industry or about yourself if you like.
Amongst everything I’ve learnt, I have given great importance to self-awareness. As a beauty queen and an
inspiration to my fellow kings and queens, I have always advocated the essence of self-love. I have always
believed that we are unique in our way and that we must embrace our imperfections because we are only
human. We are bound to make mistakes in this world and no physical features, talents and skills should be
ideal or not. It is time for all of us to learn how to say “I am beautiful in our own way.”
7. Working within an industry whose only emphasis is on the outside characteristics of a person, how
have you stayed grounded?
I have always stayed firm in my values, and I am proud of it. This world can be very intimidating and
judgemental, but I have always reminded myself to make firm choices that that aligns with my values
including having a genuine heart, a helping hand, a listening ear and an overall inspiration to my fellow
beauty kings and queens.
8. Is your family supportive of you being in an industry that supports pageantry?
With all honesty, besides my little daughter and my mum in heaven, it’s my friends who are like family to
me and as well as some relatives that have been very supportive in my pageantry journey. Family is not
always “blood” to me. Family is about those people who have been genuinely fully supportive of me. They
have been celebrating my happiness without any judgements and they have been there through thick and
thin.
9.What are your future plans? Inside or out of the competition?
My plan is to create a community project where it would be easy for domestic violence survivors to access
reading resources in a safe way. They could be people who are still in an abusive environment, or they could
have already left. Either way, there will be resources that they can access. This project involves seeking
funding from the council and independent business establishments to create the little safe corner in libraries
all over the country that is safe and enclosed. Due to confidentiality, I sincerely apologise for not being able
to elaborate further on the details which involves sensitive matters and due to the project already being in
planning progress. The planning has started last year. Although procrastination has been happening, but I
believe we will be achieving our goal at the right time. As a leader of this project, I have been very diligent
with the project details and its’ future.
