Barbie Forteza (left) and Herlene Budol (right). Images from GMA Sparkle IG
Kapuso actress Barbie Forteza may look like a damsel in distress, but in real life, she played knight in shining armor to Herlene Budol after the latter stumbled and fell face-flat while walking the ramp of the GMA Gala 2024, held at the Marriott Grand Hyatt ballroom on Saturday night.
Forteza, who was posing for the cameras just behind Budol, displayed her agility when she came to the rescue of Budol, who was walking on the elevated stage when she appeared to trip over her skintight nude gown.
Like from a movie scene, Forteza immediately ran to the side of the beauty queen-comedienne to help her up, hiking up the skirt of her voluminous Mak Tumang ballgown and as quickly as her platform sandals could carry her.
The incident was captured and shared by social media user @Cordel2022 on X (formerly Twitter).
Barbie Is So Sweet Helping Herlen Budol To Get Up😭
“That Kind Of Love”#Barda #BarbieForteza #DavidLicauco #GMAGala2024 pic.twitter.com/okBVPkjfYx
— Cordelia (@Cordel2022) July 20, 2024
Many internet users praised Forteza for her good deed, saying she is a beauty inside-out.
Screenshot from @Cordel2022 on X
Budol took to her X account to address the incident. “Sa buhay kapag na dapa ka, Bumangon ka. Hangga’t may buhay, may pag asa. Walang susuko para sa Pamilya,” she said as she reposted a video of the incident.
Sa buhay kapag na dapa ka, Bumangon ka. Hangga’t may buhay, may pag asa. Walang susuko para sa Pamilya.#GMAGala2024 🦐🦐🦐 https://t.co/lTMFOqBM4M
— Herlene Hipon Budol (@herlene_budol) July 20, 2024
Budol, meanwhile, lashed at some netizens who even laughed at her after her stumble.
“Pag dapa hindi pinag tatawanan. Accident always happened! Sa palagay nyo ba gusto ko madapa? Lahat ng tao nadadapa, naaksidente, Ang importante safe at di nasugatan,” she further said on X. (When someone falls, people shouldn’t laugh. Accidents always happen. Do you think that I wanted to trip over? All of us sometimes fall, or meet an accident. What’s important is that nobody got hurt.)