Bb. Pilipinas Grand International Roberta Tamondong/ARMIN P. ADINA
MANILA, Philippines — The reigning Binibining Pilipinas queens already saw the ladies who are eyeing the crowns on their heads with the announcement of the official candidates for this year’s edition of the competition, and they are excited for the ladies to go on the same journey that changed their own lives.
“Well, for me it’s really exciting this year. This batch is kinda different because some are fresh faces, some do not have any background at all in pageantry. And we also saw a lot of pageant girls from different organizations,” Bb. Pilipinas Globe Chelsea Fernandez told the Inquirer at the sidelines of the final screening of applicants at the New Frontier Theater at the Araneta City in Quezon City on Feb. 6.
Bb. Pilipinas Grand International Roberta Tamondong said she found it difficult to choose candidates, “because all of them are worthy talaga,” while Bb. Pilipinas Intercontinental Gabrielle Basiano found the pageant “getting more and more competitive.” For Bb. Pilipinas International Nicole Borromeo, the 2023 candidates are “very promising.”
Second runner-up Stacey Gabriel said the 2023 roster is composed of beautiful, intelligent, and bright candidates. “I can’t wait to witness their journeys, and I’m so excited they finally get to this incredible ride that we’ve been on,” she said.
Bb. Pilipinas second runner-up Stacey Gabriel/ARMIN P. ADINA
Gabriel also advised the ladies to have fun. “One of my pitfalls was I took everything too seriously, and I wish I had let my hair down more, let loose more. This is a beautiful platform to share your heart, to raise your voice. So don’t lose sight of the fun and the wonder of it all,” Gabriel said.
For her part, Borromeo told the ladies to always take a deep breath. “I know what it’s like being there on stage, the fear and the shaking, because I really wanted them to like me. But if you just take a deep breath before you do anything, it kinda brings you to the moment,” she said.
Tamondong reminded the ladies to be confident, and “(to) be grateful for your team or who you’re with. Don’t stress yourself out.” Basiano said she would want the candidates to build relationships “with the people who are behind the scenes, and your co-candidates, because it’s something that you’re gonna bring for a lifetime.”
Fernandez, meanwhile, shared a piece of advice she received from her mentors: “Never get tired.”
She said that because of the competition’s duration, it could be long and tiring for the ladies. “Like last year, we started applying in April, and then it ended in July. It’s that long, so the girls could get tired. But I hope they don’t, I hope they think of why they joined this pageant for them to draw their inspiration and strength from,” she explained.
The 2023 Bb. Pilipinas coronation night is tentatively scheduled in May, and will be staged at the Smart Araneta Coliseum at the Araneta City. EDV