(From left) Wilbert Tolentino, Herlene Budol. Image: Facebook/Wilbert Tolentino
Wilbert Tolentino is proud of Herlene Budol’s achievements in pageantry despite her lack of English skills, pointing out that his former ward still managed to be crowned Binibining Pilipinas 2022 first runner-up and Miss Tourism Philippines 2023 despite the odds.
Tolentino defended the actress-beauty queen in the comments of showbiz platform The Scoop’s Facebook post, which reported on Budol’s decision to quit pageantry for good.
“Hindi man marunong mag ingles si Herlene bagkus dalawang national pageant may napatunayan naman sya: Binibining Pilipinas 2022 1st runner up at ngayon Miss Tourism Philippines 2023. Not bad at all. Achievement is achievement parin! Daming bashers na wala naman ambag sa community,” he said.
(Even if Herlene doesn’t know how to speak English, she was able to prove herself in two national pageants: Binibining Pilipinas 2022 first runner-up and Miss Tourism Philippines 2023. Not bad at all. An achievement is still an achievement. There are so many bashers with no contribution to the community.)
Image: Screengrab from Facebook/The Scoop
Aside from her feats in pageantry, the entrepreneur also pointed out that Budol shouldn’t be “underestimated” since she’s an “effective” actress, comedienne, and endorser.
“Huwag kayo mag under estimate ng tao. from comedian squammy to drama actress nga na transform nya sa ‘Magandang Dilag’ as lead role,” he said. “From Comedian Squammy to Endorser effective sya at puro renew mga contrata nya. From bardugulan, TV host at boyish, na- transform sya beauty queen for [only a few] months.”
(Don’t underestimate someone. She was able to transform from a lowly comedienne to a drama actress through her lead role in “Magandang Dilag.” From a funny comedienne to endorser, she proved to be effective too. All of her contracts were renewed. From her funny exchanges, TV hosting, and boyish personality, she was able to transform into a beauty queen in just a few months.)
Tolentino also said that Budol shouldn’t be “judged” for her past mistakes, adding that she still has a lot of room to grow.
“Kaliwa’t kanan ang proyekto at bilang lang sa daliri ang pageant training nya. Kung maka husga kayo wagas. Bata pa cya at marami pa cya pagkakataon para matuto. lagi nyo tatandaan bilog ang mundo. Sana hindi nyo maranasan yung mental health na pinag daanan nya,” he said.
(She has a lot of projects and was able to dedicate a few days into training for pageants. You’ve judged her so much. She’s still young and she has a lot of opportunities to learn. Always remember that the world is round. I hope you wouldn’t experience the mental health struggles she had been through.)
Budol has yet to respond to her former talent manager’s Facebook post, as of this writing.
Tolentino’s statement comes a day after the “Magandang Dilag” star announced in a vlog that she would be leaving pageantry for good, saying she realized that she’s incapable of being a beauty queen.
Earlier this month, the entrepreneur confirmed that he resigned as Budol’s manager due to health matters. EDV