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Herlene Budol. Image: Instagram/@herlene_budol

Herlene Budol has drawn the ire of pageant enthusiasts and netizens who watched her playful approach during the question-and-answer portion of the Miss Grand Philippines (MGPh) 2023 press presentation, saying her responses seemed to show her lack of effort and understanding of the goals of the pageant.

A video of Budol’s response to the interviewer’s question was shared on the official Facebook page of the national competition on Tuesday, June 20, which became viral on the internet due to her somewhat hilarious answers, with some saying her lack of communication skills might work against her in the pageant.

The question was: “I had the opportunity to interview [Miss Grand International organization president] Nawat Itsaragrisil, and I know that he loves someone with such a big social media following. Apart from your big social media following, what else have you got in order to win the crown?”

Before answering, Budol noticeably first took a deep breath, drawing laughs from the audience. She then proceeded to answer in a smattering of English and Filipino slang. “Thank you for that long question for me. Chariz! I have a big followers (sic) because I have a big heart. Oh, English ‘yun ha? Nakapag-compose po ako kaagad. Ano nga ulit ‘yung tanong? (Thank you for that long question for me. [Joke] I have a big following because I have a big heart. See, that’s in English. I was able to compose my thoughts immediately. What’s the question again?)” she said, drawing more laughter among the crowd.

The interviewer then repeated her question, but in Filipino.

Budol, more serious this time, replied: “I think this is the right time.”

“Last year, siguro hindi ko po oras. Ang sabi nga ng adbokasiya ng Miss Grand is, um ano ba yon? World peace and what else again? Stop the war and peace. Since I was young — ang sarap mag-English — na-bully po ako sa eskwelahan, nabugbog po ako sa tahanan, at dumayo po ako sa ibang bansa, natutukan ng tatlong baril nang talagang armalite at naging dayuhan.” she continued.

Herlene Nicole Budol/ARMIN P. ADINA

(Last year wasn’t my time. Miss Grand’s advocacy states… what was that again? World peace and what else again? Stop the war and peace. Since I was young — it’s so nice to speak English — I was bullied in school, got beaten up at home, and when I went abroad, I have had three guns trained at me, armalites, and I was a foreigner.)

These hardships, she said, enabled her to become stronger and to face challenges head-on, adding that it is her wish for her supporters to derive strength from her own experiences.

“Para sa’kin, ang solid ng experience na ‘yun. In my own experience, ayokong maranasan ng iba yon. At bilang isang Miss Grand, sisimulan ko sa aking experience na ipalaganap sa ibang tao na huwag matakot. Kahit anong pinagdaanan ng ibang taong laging nakangiti, may katuturan ‘yun. At ‘yun ang gagawing inspirasyon ng ibang tao para maging lakas,” she said.

(For me, that experience was solid. In my own experience, I don’t want others to go through that. And as a Miss Grand, I will start by spreading to others through my experience not to be afraid. No matter what someone has been through, if she’s always smiling, then it means something. And that will become an inspiration for others to becoming strong.)

The beauty queen then pointed out that world peace starts at home, saying that showing love to others starts at home.

“Hindi ko ma-explain pero na-experience ko po talagang ma-bully. Ayoko po ng away. I’m from broken family. Mag-i-start po yan sa ating tahanan, magsisimula po tayo sa maliit na problema,” she said.

(I cannot explain fully but I have experienced being bullied. I don’t really want to get into arguments. I’m from a broken family. It will really start in our homes, let’s start tackling smaller problems.)

“Kapag naumpisahan po natin sa ating tahanan na maging world peace and for the love-love lang ang mga ferson. I think, good example yon para ipalaganap sa kung kalahatan,” she said. “Sagutin niyo na po ang telepono. Ayun po, maraming salamat. Sana nasagot ko po ang tanong niyo. Ang hirap lang po i-explain.”

(If we start spreading world peace and love in our own homes, I think, that would be a good example for everyone… Answer your phones already. That’s it, thank you. I hope I have answered your question. it’s just really hard to explain.)

‘Embarrassing’

Internet users, however, were mixed about her response to the pageant question, with some accusing Budol of just fooling around.

One LA Mia Cucina Daet said her answers were “embarrassing.” “You want to join [this] type of competition. You gotta work hard for q & a and communication skills, Hindi pwedeng puro beauty lang walang brain,” she said.

Image: Screengrab from Facebook/LA Mia Cucina Daet

Meanwhile, another Pawee Ventura said, “Herlene Budol for the win! *unrehearsed, bold, funny, not your traditional [or] typical beauty queen & more importantly – she’s only human.”

On the other hand, TV personality RR Enriquez said Budol should learn how to “tame herself as a beauty queen,” although she stressed that the latter is open to improvement.

“But I do get Herlene! [Of course], growing up Jologs or squammy I guess nasa system mo na yan. Minsan lalabas at lalabas yan ng hindi mo sinasadya… or minsan you will do it on purpose because gusto mo magpatawa,” she added.

(I do get Herlene. Growing up in the slums, I guess that would be in your system. Sometimes it would come out without you knowing it, or sometimes you will do it on purpose because you just want to have some fun.)

‘I’ll try my best’

In response to the criticisms, the actress-comedienne apologized on her Facebook page for “losing composure” during the pageant’s question-and-answer portion.

“Sa sobrang kaba ko po Hindi [ko po na-explain] yung kung anong gusto [ko pong] sabihin. Sorry I admit di po ako magaling sa lahat ng bagay,” she said. “Sorry kung nawalan po kayo sakin ng kumpyansa sa isang pagkakamali.” (In my extreme nervousness, I was unable to explain what I wanted to say. I’m sorry, I admit that I’m not good at everything. I apologize if I lost your confidence in me because of this mistake.)

Image: Screengrab from Facebook/Herlene Nicole Budol

Budol then assured her supporters that she would “try her best to make [them] proud in the coming days.

“I’ll try my best to make you proud. Hindi ko po nilaro diko lang po talaga na gets yung tanong and I accept it Hindi po ako perpekto. [Thank you] for those people na naniniwala padin po saakin,” she said.

(I didn’t play around, I just really didn’t understand the question, and I accept it. I am not perfect. Thank you to those people who still believe in me.)

In March, the beauty queen confirmed that she will join MGPh as a way of giving back to her manager, Wilbert Tolentino.

“Tinupad niya ang mga pangarap ko na magkaroon ng bahay, sasakyan, mapagamot ‘yung lolo ko, pati ‘yung burol ng lola ko, sinagot niya. So, ‘yung kaligayahan naman ni Sir Wilbert ang gagawin ko which is kaligayahan ko din po ngayon,” she said.

Budol was named as Binibining Pilipinas 2022 first runner-up and was appointed as the country’s representative to the Miss Planet International 2022 pageant. However, she backed out due to “uncertainties” involving the global tilt. EDV

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Actor and comedian Diane Morgan has been awarded an honorary doctorate by the university in her home town of Bolton. And the Cunk and Motherland star had the audience in stitches as she delivered a heart-warming and hilarious graduation speech.

Morgan, who was raised in Farnworth, also took the opportunity to have a little dig at Rishi Sunak’s plans to make everyone study maths until they’re 18, revealing she got a G in the subject, before adding: “Everyone told me I wouldn’t be able to make it as an actress.

“That it was an impossible dream. That you need maths! You don’t need maths. You don’t need maths for anything – take that Rishi Sunak.”

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The Bafta-nominated actor, 47, also discussed some of the jobs she’d had, including working in a chippy and ‘packing worming tablets’, as she tried to break into acting. And she revealed she’d been sacked from the tea rooms at the Last Drop Village hotel in Bolton ‘for not knowing what a cream tea is’.

She said: “I should not be here today – I shouldn’t. There’s been a dreadful mistake.

“Thirty years ago, just outside this building, I bumped into Maxine Peake, who’s also a Boltonian. We’d met two weeks earlier when we were both auditioning to get into Manchester Polytechnic, for the acting course.

“Neither of us got in. It took us three long years to get into drama school and during that time I had various jobs – packing worming tablets, selling fish and chips. I was also an Avon lady. Most of these jobs I was sacked from.

“I got fired from the Last Drop Village tea rooms in Bolton for not knowing what a cream tea is. I thought it was tea with cream in it.

“But now I have an honorary doctorate. Unbelievable. Actually it’s Maxine Peake’s birthday today and I rang her up and said ‘Sorry I can’t be with you today Maxine, I’m picking up an honorary doctorate’.

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“I’m here to show you that anything is possible. If you’ve got passion and you work hard you can do absolutely anything.

“This is such an honour and I’m so proud. Thank you so much.”