Filipino comedienne and Binibining Pilipinas 2022 first runner-up Herlene Budol is among the candidates of the Miss Grand Philippines 2023. The famous comedienne is now being criticized for the way she answered the question during the press conference and sashing ceremony of the pageant last June 20.
During the interview part, Budol was asked about the things she got aside from her huge number of followers online.
“I had the opportunity to meet and interview Mr. Nawat last year and I know he loves someone who’s got a big social media following,” the interviewer said. “Apart from your big social media followings, what else have you got in order to win the crown?” the interviewer asked Budol.
“Thank you for that long question for me… chariz,” Budol said. “I have a big followers because I have a big heart. O, English ‘yon, ha? Nakapag-compose po ako kaagad. Ano nga ulit ‘yung tanong?” the candidate continued.
The interviewer then repeated the question to Budol in Filipino.
Budol finally answered and said she thinks now is the right time for her. She later shared that she used to be bullied in school, hurt in their home, and three guns were even pointed at her when she went abroad.
“Since I was young… ang sarap mag-English. Ummm, naranasan ko pong ma-bully sa eskwelahan, mabugbog sa tahanan, at dumayo sa ibang bansa bilang… dumayo ako sa ibang bansa, natutukan ng tatlong baril na talagang armalite at naging isang dayuhan. Para sa akin, ang solid nung experience na yon. In my own experience, ayokong maranasan ng iba yon [I have experienced being bullied at school, being beaten at home, and going to another country. When I went to another country, I was targeted by three real Armalite rifles. For me, that experience was intense. In my own experience, I don’t want others to go through that],” Budol said.
“At bilang isang Miss Grand, sisimulan ko sa aking experience na ipalaganap sa ibang tao na wag matakot. Kahit anong pinagdaanan ng mga taong laging nakangiti, may katuturan yon at ikaw yung magiging lakas ng ibang tao para maging lakas [And as a Miss Grand, I will begin by sharing my experience with others, encouraging them not to be afraid. Whatever challenges people go through while maintaining a smile, it holds meaning, and you will be the strength of others to empower them],” the candidate added.
Budol reiterated that she experienced being bullied and shared that she came from a broken family.
“Hindi ko ma-explain eh pero na-experience ko po talaga na ma-bully. Ayoko po ng away, I’m from broken family. Mag-i-start po yan sa ating tahanan. Mag-uumpisa po tayo sa maliit na ano eh na problema. Kapag naumpisahan po natin sa ating tahanan na maging world peace and for the love love lang ang mga person, I think good example yun para ipalaganap sa buong kalahatan [I can’t explain it, but I really experienced being bullied. I don’t like conflicts; I come from a broken family. It all starts in our homes. We begin with small issues. If we can start in our homes, promoting world peace and focusing on love, I think that’s a good example to spread to everyone],” she added.
As a cellphone rang while she was answering, Budol unexpectedly asked the people to answer the call before she ended, “Pakisagot po nung tumatawag. Ayun po, maraming salamat [Please answer the call. There you go, thank you very much.]”
Video clips of the question-and-answer portion were posted on TikTok, where it garnered a lot of reactions from online users.
While there were some who admired Budol’s authenticity, many online users did not like the way she answered during the question-and-answer portion. Many also said that they had a hard time finishing the video clip. Below are some comments from online users on TikTok:
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