Bb. Pilipinas Hannah Arnold reflects on Miss International journey
Bb. Pilipinas Hannah Arnold/ARMIN P. ADINA
TOKYO, Japan — Hannah Arnold captured her Binibining Pilipinas crown, her ticket to the 60th Miss International pageant, in June 2021, which gave her more than a year to prepare for the global tilt. But there was still something that she was not ready for, she said.
“I didn’t expect all the bloggers to be so updated every day, that was a new thing for me. I was like ‘wow, they see everything,’” she told the Inquirer after the international pageant’s coronation program held at the Tokyo Dome City Hall in Tokyo, Japan, on Dec. 13. She finished in the Top 15.
The 26-year-old Australian-Filipino forensic scientist and model from Masbate said pageant followers have been commenting on just about everything, to the smallest detail of her styling.
Arnold said “everyone” already warned her not to browse social media while in Japan. “I said ‘no, it’s fine.’ But it can get to you. Sometimes it did get to me. I was like, ‘oh they don’t like my hair today? Okay,’” she confessed.
Because of this, she would like to impart the same advice she received to her successor, and jested an additional tip: “So Nicole [Borromeo], practice your hair.”
Borromeo inherited Arnold’s Bb. Pilipinas International title in July, even before the latter got to participate in the global competition. And the predecessor said she is grateful for the trust that the national pageant organization gave her.
“Binibini believed in me enough to allow me to compete here today. They could have told me ‘you’re reign is over.’ They could’ve told me ‘you’re gonna crown someone and she would compete.’ But the fact that they believed in me, that was the most outstanding thing for me. When they told me that, my heart got so happy that they believed in me,” Arnold shared.
“I’ve been a big fan of Miss International for years. So everything that happened, I saw in the past. And I’m so grateful I got to be the girl to do all of those activities,” she continued.
And aside from veering away from social media, she also gave Borromeo another piece of advice: “Just enjoy. All the girls will be so excited to see you, so just enjoy.”
She also expressed her gratitude for her “Hannabees” (avid supporters) who “stayed with me for so long, since my first Binibini. That’s really amazing.”
Arnold also imparted a message to avid pageant followers online: “Thank you. Even if it’s [a] negative [comment] it means you cared about my journey. There were constructive things also, a lot of positive. I’m just grateful for everyone.”
The 2022 Miss International crown went to Jasmin Selberg, the third winner from Germany. Borromeo will represent the Philippines in the global tilt’s 61st edition next year. EDV
