Herlene Budol clarifies she’s grateful for Miss PH Tourism title: ‘Di lang nag-sink in nung gabing ‘yon’
Herlene Budol. Image: Instagram/@msgrandphilippines
Herlene Budol stressed she is grateful after being proclaimed Miss Philippines Tourism 2023, clarifying that she had a straight face while being crowned because it had not fully sunk in yet at the time.
Through her Facebook page, the actress-turned-beauty-queen set the record straight as she showed a video she took of herself after she arrived at her home with her crown. In the said clip, Budol was wearing her crown and holding her bouquet as she lay down and was about to sleep.
“July 14, 2023, 5:51 a.m., pagkauwing-pagkauwi ko ng condo—wala akong kahit sinong kasama—nagtanggal lang po ako ng makeup, nagpost po ako ng picture ng walang words na caption, ito lang,” she recalled. “Sobrang dami ng meaning po no’n na hindi ko na kailangan isa-isahin dito….”
(July 14, 2023, 5:51 a.m., after I arrived at my condo—I was alone—I removed my makeup and immediately posted a picture without a caption. The post itself was so meaningful that I do not need to enumerate [every reason why I’m grateful] here.)
“…Dahil nagpasalamat ako ng direkta kay Lord, kung gaano ako kasaya sa lahat-lahat ng nangyari—heart to heart. Nagpasalamat din ako sa mga taong tumulong sakin para maging possible ang lahat ng ito—Wilbert Tolentino at sa buong team ko,” she continued, referring to her talent manager. “Nung may mga nag-interview sa akin, nagpasalamat ako sa lahat ng sumuporta at sa mga may ayaw din sa akin.”
(…Because I thanked God directly, heart to heart, for the happiness I felt with everything that had happened. I also thanked the people who helped me and made all of these possible—Wilbert Tolentino and my whole team. When I was interviewed [after the pageant], I also thanked those who supported me as well as those who did not like me.)
Budol further explained that she was just not able to process her win right away because of her fear of receiving harsh comments for her pageant performance.
“Hindi lang po nag-sink in sa akin na may crown po ako nung gabing ‘yon after kong mag-buckle at pagtawanan; kasi natakot na po ako sa mga sasabihin sa akin ng mga tao. Pero, hindi po ibig sabihin na hindi po ako masaya sa nakuha ko,” she clarified.
(That night, it did not immediately sink in that I won a crown even after I buckled and got laughed at; because I was scared of what the public might say. But that does not mean that I was not happy with the title I got.)
“Kulang ang salitang salamat sa lahat ng blessings na binibigay sakin araw-araw ng Panginoon,” she concluded. (The word “thank you” is not enough [to express my gratitude] for everything the Lord gives me every day.)
Budol won the Miss Philippines Tourism title at the Miss Grand Philippines 2023 coronation night last July 13. Nikki De Moura from Cagayan de Oro City was proclaimed as the Miss Grand Philippines 2023 titleholder.
At the latter part of the coronation event, Budol had a seemingly straight-face reaction, leading fans to ask why she was “sad” while being crowned. Budol then revealed in an apparent humorous manner that she felt her potential was “wasted,” citing this as the reason why she had an unhappy facial expression.
Meanwhile, Hiyas ng Pilipinas pageant, which holds the franchise for the Miss Tourism World, earlier clarified that Budol will not be the Philippine representative at the said international pageant. /ra
