Actress Toni Gonzaga’s performance as host of the Binibining Pilipinas 2015 coronation night drew mixed reactions from netizens.
Gonzaga won kudos for how she lightened the nervous atmosphere and eased the tension of the candidates by throwing quips.
When it was Princess Joy Camu’s turn to face the judges, the candidate said it was her first time to join a beauty contest. Gonzaga replied, “Are you looking forward to the second time?”
“Your earrings have their own theme song,” Gonzaga to Hannah Ruth Sison. “Chandelier.”
When Gonzaga announced the name of the judge with the question for Rogelie Catacutan—“Our next judge is Mr. Frederick Go!”—she pronounced the surname as though it meant “Go ahead”
She also tried to answer Go’s question about marriage herself. “You do not marry because they’re successful. You marry someone because he is faithful.”
Pia Wurtzbach said she didn’t expect the overwhelming support of her fans; Gonzaga asked her, “What did you expect?”
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But others were not pleased, calling her sarcastic, rude and irritating.
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Miss Universe Philippines 2000, Nina Ricci Alagao, took to Facebook to express her sentiments and disappointment, though she didn’t name Gonzaga.
“I admired how KC Concepcion handled not-so-satisfactory answers a few years ago, and managed to make Filipinas look good in the eyes of the judges, specially the foreign ones, despite those Q&A blunders. This time I sensed overconfidence almost to the point of arrogance. And the way she prodded some of the judges to proceed with the Q&A was as if she was at par with these well-respected people in terms of age and experience,” she said in her post.
Alagao took down her post after it received backlash from Gonzaga’s fans.
Alagao later apologized. “I apologize. If it will appease her fans then I apologize, but not without pointing out a few things. Just because I said what I said in my previous post it does not necessarily mean I am not also a fan of hers. I admire her confidence and determination,” she said.
“Going under the knife is something I have yet to explore, and will not judge those who have done it. I believe it to be a powerful tool in making people’s lives better. So if I may have mentioned anything that I don’t suppose is a secret, know that it was not meant to humiliate. It was simply to state that we should allow people room to get better, “ she explained.
The blue ball gown that Gonzaga wore, a Michael Cinco creation, also became a center of attention. Some thought it was not appropriate attire for the occasion.