Beauty & grace amid pandemic
What a journey it has been for the Binibining Pilipinas 2021 queens!
Four ladies took home the coveted titles after the grand coronation event finally happened last July 11 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum following several cancellations due to the global pandemic.
Bb. Pilipinas International is Hannah Arnold, 24, a Fil-Australian model and forensic science graduate. Bb. Pilipinas Grand International is Samantha Panlilio, 25, a US-educated information management graduate who helps run the family business. Bb. Pilipinas Intercontinental is Cinderella Faye Obeñita, 25, a MassComm magna cum laude and tourism operations officer at the Misamis Oriental provincial government. Bb. Pilipinas Globe is Maureen Montagne, 28, a US-born Fil-French professional host-model. The new Binibinis vowed to strengthen advocacies, such as children’s education (Hannah), sustainable community (Samantha), press freedom (Cinderella) and HIV/AIDs awareness (Maureen), while preparing for their respective international competitions in the months to come.
You’ve got to hand it to these ladies and their whole batch for enduring more than a year of waiting and competing that even saw fellow worthy candidates dropping out because of personal or health reasons. In Bb. Pilipinas’ 57-year history, this was also the first time the prestigious national pageant, mounted by Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI), took place in a bubble. All candidates were locked-in at the Novotel Manila Araneta City and subjected to IATF-approved health and safety protocols.
When The STAR interviewed them two days after the coronation, their wins hadn’t sunk in yet. They deserve the time to take it all in after the long and eventful Binibini journey that also shone a light on their grace, resilience and determination. You might say, they don’t need a crown to be called queens, as their efforts to go after their dreams in the face of a pandemic already made them winners.
Nevertheless, when asked the first thing they did after winning, Cinderella shared she had to rebook her flight to her hometown in Cagayan de Oro. “I already had a return flight because I never expected I would win any of the crowns. I only filed a leave of absence until July 12. So, I don’t know if I still have work (laughs). But they were very supportive.”
Hannah said she was frantically looking for her phone because she wanted to videotape the special moment for her parents in Australia.
As for Samantha, she spent the next hours just responding to all messages of support and enjoying her favorite food because “I have been dieting for weeks.”
The morning after (July 10), Maureen had a double celebration as it was her natal day. “I had birthday cake for breakfast, lunch and dinner!”
Here are more excerpts from the exclusive interview:
On overcoming challenges during the Binibini journey:
Hannah: “Back in January, I was still in Australia because I went back to be with my parents, and I was really thinking, you know, the question that everyone’s asking, what’s the relevance of beauty pageants in a pandemic? And I would always question, is it safe to go back? Do we really have a voice during this time? And then it was my parents who told me, this is your dream, don’t give up. Just because of what’s happening, it doesn’t mean you should doubt yourself. They really reminded me of why (we’re here) which is our advocacies. And Bb. Pilipinas really elevated that this year. I’m not sure if you saw online where they uploaded glamorous shots of us, but also put what our advocacies are. So, yes, this pageant is really relevant.”
Maureen: “It was definitely a struggle just to get through it mentally, but I’m glad that we were all able to push through. Again, life happened so I’m glad that Bb. Pilipinas was more flexible with us. I myself was wondering, can I still fully give myself to work and compete, and the answer was yes. I’m glad that (BPCI) cares about the girls because at the end of the day, pageantry is a luxury. That’s one thing I didn’t realize before. This pandemic really showed me it was my dream and it was definitely worth the investment of time, energy and love.
“The hardest part was just the stamina for it. A normal pageant, internationally, runs from two weeks to a month, Binibini is (usually) three months. But our batch was a year and a half, so you had to stay positive, be physically fit and emotionally ready. It was almost like The Hunger Games (as to) who would last but it was fun.”
Samantha: “The biggest challenge for me was introducing myself to the public because it’s my first pageant ever. I found it quite hard to break out of that shell. At least, I was able to do that later on. I never thought of quitting because when I put my heart into something I want to finish it.”
Cinderella: “The biggest struggle for me, coming from Mindanao, would have to be the transfer because from time to time, I needed to go back here in Manila, and then go back to Cagayan de Oro because of the postponements. But then again because of the support, the financial support most especially of the LGUs, I was able to push through with the competition. Also part of the struggle was to look for a place here. We’re just happy that Binibini has been very flexible with the time. They allowed us to be in a better situation before staging the pageant.
“Some put an end to their journey for personal and health reasons. But for the 34 (candidates), the driving force would have to be family, the supporters. That fueled us to continue on with the journey.”
On how they got into pageants:
Hannah: “When I was young, I did ballet so I loved being on the stage. Then my mom entered me into Baby Queen 2002 in Masbate and I won. And from there, everyone just kept on reminding me, ‘Oh, you look so beautiful with that crown, you’re such a performer.’ It really stayed in my heart and I just always remember the community was really dancing with the fireworks and everything. I was so amazed! I would go back to my school (in Australia) and tell everyone, ‘Oh, I have a double life, I’m a queen there (laughs).’
“I later joined Miss Philippines Australia and during my courtesy tour in the Philippines, I saw Ate MJ Lastimosa, Ate Pia (Wurtzbach), all of them. I really looked up to them and said I want to do that. This is really my dream. That’s why in 2019, on the night of (the Binibini) coronation when I didn’t win, I straight away called my dad in Australia and my mom who was here, and said, ‘I’m gonna join again.’ I’m so glad I did.”
Maureen: “I actually entered pageantry because of my mom. I was the most shy kid and she entered me in pageants so I could be more outgoing and master public speaking. Did I always want to be a beauty queen? No, but once I was in the door, I fell in love with it. From when I was about 18 onwards, I was a die-hard pageant fan and it’s been a hobby, passion and labor of love.”
Samantha: “Not at all (I didn’t imagine myself as a beauty queen). I really joined Binibini mainly because I wanted to challenge myself, put myself out of my comfort zone, discover things I can be passionate about, have an advocacy and do something about it. And also, my aunt is Myrna Panlilio, who was the first Bb. Pilipinas Universe in 1954 and so a lot of my family members actually pushed me as well.
“It was only then that I realized I really wanted to win one of these titles. And it’s very relevant because pageants give people hope. They inspire people. Pageants are usually created by organizations and they support so many charities like BPCI. I think, now more than ever, we need to help each other, so that you can recover from this global epidemic.”
Cinderella: “I actually put an end to my pageantry life like three years ago. But it was my mentor who really motivated me to try the national stage before putting an end to my pageant career because I was so focused on work already. I already had planned out my future and then I said to myself, why not try it one more time because my age still allows it. Why not pursue my dream and make these people (supporters) happy and proud of me.”
On their relationship status (single or taken?):
Hannah: “I’ve had partners in the past who helped me grow into where I am today as cliché as it sounds. Since 2017, I’ve been single and I’m happy with it. I had more time to myself; I really had to discover myself first. Let’s see if someone comes. Let’s see if they’re there for good intentions.
“Suitors? Actually, there’ve been a lot of people sliding into my DMs (laughs). My type? I know it shouldn’t matter with the height, but because I’m always in high heels now, I hope someone taller than me. No, that’s so picky. I just want someone super family-oriented because I love attending family gatherings and I really want them to get along with my parents.”
Maureen: “I am happily taken, and he’s been great during this whole stint. He’s actually best friends with (former Bb. Pilipinas Universe) Rachel Peters. He witnessed what she went through with Miss Universe, and he was ready to take away my phone when there’s too much controversy or bashers. I think it’s good to have people who will keep you grounded during the pageant because it can be so intense.”
Samantha: “My boyfriend is supportive and I couldn’t ask for a better partner in life. He’s super excited that I won. He’s (Hungarian), the cultural attache in Beijing and so, I haven’t seen him for months because of the restrictions. But he was able to come on a business trip. I saw him after four months while I was on stage for the coronation, so I was full of emotions that night.”
Cinderella: “I’m taken and we’re not breaking up. I’m just so happy that my boyfriend has been with me all throughout this journey. It’s very hard to find someone who would understand the job, our situation, because beauty queens meet a lot of people along the way, boys, admirers, napakadami, char (laughs). Hindi yung parang nawawala ang self-confidence because their girlfriends are, you know. It’s very important to find someone who will support you all the way.”
On dealing with bashers:
Hannah: “For the past few weeks I had a few fake accounts, they were commenting on super old posts of mine, so it was obvious, they had something against me. Their comments were even like attacking my parents and for me that’s just way too far. So, I just blocked them and luckily on social media, there are new ways you can filter certain words. I try not to read too many of the comments, I just go to the messages of my family and friends.”
Maureen: “I remember last year I was trending because somebody called me a hipon, which means not having a good face. We have to laugh at it because we’re all beauty queens. So, I started using the shrimp emoji on my posts for fun. I embraced it because it’s so ridiculous, we need to laugh. Because if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry. Enjoy and have that dedma attitude.”
Samantha: “The worst bashing I received, someone told me I was ugly. This was when they first announced I was Top 40. It being my first pageant ever, and I’m usually a very private person, to see people say those things hurt me because I’m human. Now, I’ve just gotten used to blocking them off.”
Cinderella: “I think we would really have to be more constructive with the criticisms and just choose which comments to take. I don’t read (negative comments) but my coaches would say, may ganito, ganyan na nagsasabi, but don’t entertain or engage them because I have a tendency to reply. (That’s why) I detached myself from social media three days before the competition so that I would not break down. That’s what I did during Miss Cagayan De Oro. I applied it here in Binibini and it worked. Just don’t doubt your power, especially if you’re capable of doing something. Never give bashers an opportunity to question your self-worth.”
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