As the highly awaited coronation night of Miss Grand Philippines 2023 draws near, the beauty pageant's preliminary activities have been creating quite a buzz online.
ICYMI, the pageant recently held its sashing ceremony and press presentation at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria Hotel on June 20. During the event, comedian-turned-beauty-queen Herlene Budol, better known as "Hipon Girl," left the audience both amused and bewildered with her *playful* responses during the Q&A portion.
Herlene was asked the following question: “Just checked the list of the candidates this year in Miss Grand Philippines, and your name is the only one that is hyperlinked, meaning you’re famous enough to be in the Wikipedia and you have millions of followers.
“I had the opportunity to meet and interview Mr. Nawat [Itsaragrisil, Miss Grand International president] last year and I know he loves someone who’s got a big social media following. Apart from your big social media following, what else have you got in order to win the crown?”
Bringing a twist to the usually serious atmosphere of beauty pageants, the comedian answered: “Thank you for that looong question for me… chariz.. I have a big followers because I have a big heart… O English yon, ha? Nakapag-compose po ako kaagad. Ano nga uli yung tanong?”
Instagram/herlene_budolNetizens quickly took to social media to express their opinions, with some criticizing her for not taking the event seriously enough. Others, however, applauded her for injecting a dose of *humor* into the often overly formal and rehearsed events.
In light of the backlash, Herlene took to social media to address the situation and extend her apologies.
“Sa sobrang kaba ko po hindi ko po na-explain yung kung anong gusto ko pong sabihin,” she wrote on Facebook. “Sorry. I admit di po ako magaling sa lahat ng bagay, and sorry kung nawalan po kayo sakin ng kumpyansa sa isang pagkakamali. I’ll try my best to make you proud.”
She expressed her gratitude to her fans who continue to be supportive of her pageant journey. “Hindi ko po nilaro, di ko lang po talaga na-gets yung tanong and I accept it,” she said. “Hindi po ako perpekto. Thank you for those people na naniniwala pa din po saakin.”
Facebook/Herlene Hipon BudolHerlene will be competing with 29 other hopefuls at the Miss Grand Philippines 2023 coronation night on July 13, 2023.
