More Than A Woman

As the special envoy to UNICEF, former congresswoman Nikki Prieto-Teodoro’s primal advocacy is the welfare of children. We take a peek into this multifaceted woman’s life and find out her true calling

- Chit L Lijauco

Drop dead gorgeous. Oozing with sophisticated sex appeal. Born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Uptown girl. This is the first impression one usually, and unfairly, makes of Monica Louise Prieto-Teodoro. Unfair because it barely scratches the surface. To use a cliché, she is all this and more.

The wife of former government official-now-back in private business, Gilbert Teodoro, currently holds the position of special envoy of the President of the Philippines to the UNICEF. The appointment is a perfect fit. Nikki, as Teodoro is more familiarly called, has fought for the welfare of children since she was elected to the 14th Congress of the Philippines representing the first district of Tarlac province.

The fact that she believes her performance in the Lower House paved the way for this special post shows a sign of level-headedness. “The reason why I was given this [appointment] was because I founded and chaired the Child Welfare Committee in Congress,” she says.

We are in a guest room of her beautiful, tastefully designed home as she is being preened for this cover pictorial. Stylist Patrick Rosas, even if he tried, could do no wrong to mess up the perfect canvas before him. But Nikki is not at all concerned about eyeshadows and curlashes or rouges and lipstick shades. Her attention is on this part of the interview where she talks about her acquired passion.

“When I was asked by Gilbert in 2007 to run for Congress, I told him I did not want to be the typical politician,” she says. A fair request—Nikki certainly is not your typical politician; she is not a politician at all. “I discovered that the best thing for me was to focus on something, and this turned out to be a passion for the protection of children.”