Binibining Pilipinas 2022 Herlene Budol poses with her sashes.
Miss International 2016 Kylie Verzosa lauded comedian-turned-beauty queen Herlene Budol for responding to an English question in Filipino during the Q&A portion of the recently concluded Binibining Pilipinas 2022 pageant.
“I’m all for it … for celebrating our own language. You have to speak in the tongue you’re most comfortable with. Her decision to speak Tagalog was right. [Her answer] was strong, touching and it came from the heart,” Kylie said at a recent story conference for her upcoming movie, “Baby Boy, Baby Girl,” under Viva Films.
Herlene, who finished first runner-up, was asked what she thought was her biggest character transformation as pageant hopeful.
“Para sa ’kin, isang karangalan na nakatungtong ako dito sa Binibining Pilipinas bilang isang binibining hindi inaasahan. Para sa ’kin, ang sarap palang mangarap. Walang imposible,” Herlene said during the coronation night last Sunday.
Miss International 2016 Kylie Verzosa
Uniquely beautiful
“Isa po akong komedyante na laki sa hirap at ang aking transpormasyon ay magbibigay ng inspirasyon. I know for myself that I’m uniquely beautiful with a mission.”
Fondly called “Hipon Girl” in show biz, Herlene first gained popularity as the segment host in the variety show “Wowowin,” and then dabbled in acting, appearing in various GMA 7 shows.
“She deserves all the attention she’s getting now. I’m so happy for her. She gave a good answer, and I was able to follow her pageant journey,” Kylie said of Herlene, who also bagged eight special awards.
“Her transformation has been wonderful throughout. I’m happy she won first runner-up, but personally, I would have loved to see her win a crown (with international placement),” Kylie added.
Great job
While it has been rumored that Herlene has no plans of joining another pageant, Kylie believes that the former has it in her to give it another shot. “Isa pang try. Kaya pa niya,” Kylie said.
The top prize went to Nicole Borromeo, who will represent the Philippines in the Miss International 2023 pageant. She was crowned by her predecessor, Hannah Arnold, who will compete in Miss International 2022. No competition was held in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Hannah, I think, is doing a great job. And I see that she’s really preparing for the competition,” Kylie said.
Kylie also sees tremendous potential in Nicole, whom she thinks fits the Miss International “peg.” “She will compete in two years, and she can do so many things in that span of time. There’s more time to improve. But I’m sure with her dedication, I feel like she can win the crown with the right training,” she said. “She’s so young and fit.”
The 30-year-old actress is also willing to give Nicole advice and share her experiences during her crown-winning run in 2016. “I hope she reaches out to me, so I can give her tips. I’m happy for her,” she said.