Michelle Dee is proof the apple does not fall far from the tree!
The beauty queen has so far bagged three pageant titles—Miss World Philippines 2019, Miss Universe Philippines Tourism 2022, and Miss Universe Philippines 2023. Her mom Melanie Marquez won the titles Miss International 1979 in Tokyo, Japan, and Face of the '80s in New York, USA.
However, another influential female figure in Michelle's life has been her grandmother, the spiritual guru Regina Y. Dee.
Described by Esquire Philippines to be well-read, articulate, a swan of her time—simple, elegant, and extremely poised—there was more to Regina than just being a socialite and a beauty.
Chinese by birth and a protestant by faith, Regina founded in 1981 the Inner Peace Foundation in 1981, which is anchored on theology and Christ-centered philosophy. She also authored the book In the Company of Miracles, which was published in 2012.
Michelle, now the president of the foundation, said about her grandmother in a GMA-7 interview way back in 2019, "I really credit my love for giving back to her. She has spent most of her life giving back despite her position of privilege.
“It's just so humbling to have that kind of values and qualities that raise you because it really gives you a sense of purpose, a sense of belonging, and a sense that you really just want to give back to people that helped you.”
Regina Dee's Family Background
Regina Y. Dee was born in Shanghai during the early parts of 1920s.
Her dad is Yu Hung-Chun, also known as OK Yui, a Chinese political figure who served as mayor of Shanghai from April to November 1937 and as chairman of the Taiwan Provincial Government and Premier of the Republic of China from April 16, 1953 to June 7, 1954. He became the minister of finance under the administration of President Chiang Kai Shek in November 1944.
Regina Dee's Education and Career
At the time China was in a political turmoil, Regina and her siblings were sent to the U.S. to study.
She took up a Bachelor of Sciece degree at New York University, and obtained a liberal arts degree from Oberlin College. She graduated with honors—magna cum laude. She also lived in Canada for a period of time, but after visiting a sister in the Philippines, she decided to settle down in Manila for good.
Regina married Dee K. "DK" Chiong, former chairman and president of China Banking Corporation (CBC).
They have two children, Anthony and Frederick, the father of Michelle known as the showbiz action star Derek Dee.
Regina worked as a director of the commercial bank for 20 years, but spent the latter part of her life pursuing her passions.
Inner Peace Foundation
In 1981, Regina founded the Inner Peace Foundation (IPF), a non-profit and non-sectarian organization.
In her interview with Philippine Star in February 2013, Regina said, "Ever since I was young, I started asking questions about life and about God.
"When I came to the Philippines a number of years ago, I learned about the New Thought Movements, and it made a lot of sense to me.
"And I started searching and seeking further and deeper, and that's why I started this movement called the Inner Peace Foundation.
"It used to be called the Inner Peace Movement that was founded by Dr. Francisco Coll in the United States. The movement I founded is really based on that."
They held weekly meetings at her home in Urdaneta Village, Makati City, to talk about the Bible and to medidate.
She also wrote books of essays on Christian virtues, and painstakingly explained the contents of the Bible so it would be easier for the readers to digest its contents. She died on November 3, 2013, at the age of 86.
Regina Dee's Influence on Michelle Dee
In 2019, then a Miss World 2019 candidate, Michelle spoke about her grandma, whom she refferred to as "an angel, with pride. The beauty queen said, “And I really credit my love for giving back to her. She has spent most of her life giving back despite her position of privilege.
“She founded this foundation called Inner Peace Foundation and it's basically a group of people that come together to share their experiences and help each other grow. It's been in existence for more than I've been alive.
“It's just so humbling to have that kind of values and qualities that raise you because it really gives you a sense of purpose, a sense of belonging, and a sense that you really just want to give back to people that helped you.”
* This story originally appeared on Pep.ph. Minor edits have been made by the Preview.ph editors.
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