Ariella Arida and Janine Tugonon | Image: YouTube/Fast Talk
Beauty queens Ariella Arida and Janine Tugonon respect the decision to remove the age limit for Miss Universe contestants but believe there should be standards to follow with regards to age restriction.
During a guest appearance on “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda” on Thursday, Feb. 15, the former Miss Universe candidates got real as they shared their two cents on the topic. Tugnonon recalled her initial reaction when she found out about the age removal.
“I’m gonna be honest, with age limit, when I first heard it, I was a little bit like, ‘Really? No age limit? Would it be fair?'” she remarked.
The Miss Universe 2012 1st runner-up stressed that “standards” should still be observed regardless of the implementation of no age limit.
“‘Cause it feels different, especially [since] I’ve been in the modeling world as well, it feels different when you’re older than the rest or when you’re younger than the rest. For me, I was like, I hope there would be some standards pa din in terms of the age but I’ll support either way,” said Tugonon.
Arida echoed her fellow beauty queen’s sentiments and revealed she is hoping there will still be a bracket for the age.
“As long as may limit pa rin kasi I’m just sharing my story kasi during our time, kung walang age limit Tito Boy, I wouldn’t push myself to join the pageant kasi I would think that’s my last year to join so parang napilitan din ako in a way to really reach that goal of mine,” she remarked.
The Miss Universe 2013 3rd runner-up affirmed that she acknowledges the effort of the organization “to adapt” to the changes of modern times.
“Parang everything going to technology and all that we have to adapt. And so, at one point or another, I know the organization wants to be more inclusive, so parang dun talaga ‘yung path niya,” explained Arida.
In September 2023, the Miss Universe Organization announced that it would remove age restrictions for candidates.
This year, the MUPH embraced the change and recently welcomed a 69-year-old fashion designer from Quezon City to the competition.