Learning Tagalog and championing Filipino culture: How Catriona Gray is spending her time at home

Like much of the world's population, Catriona Gray is spending much more time at home nowadays.

And the former Miss Universe is using that point to champion the culture of her home country.

The wonder queen, who won the global pageant in 2018, is using her social media to spread stories of fellow Filipinos, within her new role.

Gray, who's now a skill ambassador for the Philippine National Commission of Culture and the Arts, debuted a new series on Instagram on Sunday, entitled Improve the Flag, that shines a spotlight on the country's provinces.

In the first episode, the Australian-Filipino star travelled to La Union, on the island of Luzon, where she met women breaking moulds in their chosen fields.

"I feel that there's no better way to understand and appreciate than through the sharing of stories," Gray, 26, captioned the almost-10-minute video. "Join me as I discover and rediscover the local beauty, culture and sights of our diverse and unique country."

The model and philanthropist visited a weaving centre in Bangar, where she met with women who've dedicated their careers to creating hand-crafted cloths.

"I've always had a passion for showcasing what the Philippines provides, and just really find out about our Filipino culture," says Gray, who notes that there surely is "a lot more" than beautiful beaches to the coastal province.

"[I've been] in a position to go through the weaving centres and observe how it offers livelihoods, especially to Filipino mothers who use that income to provide their children an education."

The model, who handed over her Miss Universe crown to South Africa’s Zozibini Tunzi in December, also visited an event for Smile Train, a non-profit charity that provides free corrective surgery for children with cleft lips and palates.

"It's very fulfilling, realizing that this is simply not only a trip about celebration, but we’re doing outreach in a way that is in fact helping our country’s children," said Gray, who became an ambassador for Smile Train earlier this season. While in the province, the organisation could give 40 children free corrective surgery, she added.

Gray also met female surfers in San Juan, who she noted are "breaking the stereotypical perception that only men are at the forefront of the activity", together with attended a beauty pageant in La Union.

"So many different perceptions are placed on us as women about what we’re with the capacity of," Gray told the hopeful participants. "Uplift another young girl who could be looking up to you, I am hoping you carry that with you."

While in the home, Gray has been furthering her knowledge of Filipino culture by firmly taking language lessons online, she revealed in a social media post on Sunday.

"Is it possible to guys recommend worthwhile reads or online courses? Am currently undertaking an online course, together with my Tagalog lessons online and reading," she wrote to her 9.4 million Instagram followers.

"I simply finished Educated by Tara Westover and loved it and am going for a course on improving memory and comprehension for faster learning."

Gray spent her childhood in Australia, with her Scottish-Australian father and Filipina mother, and moved to the Philippines in her late teens.