POSITIBO pa rin si Bb. Pilipinas-Universe Maxine Medina na malaki ang chance na magaroon ng back-to-back win ang Pilipinas sa gaganaping 65th Miss Universe pageant sa Jan. 30.
“Well, I think all of the Filipinos will be rooting for me. All of the Filipinos are believing in me and that’s something that I can hold on (to). Kaya natin ito. Mga kababayan sana suportahan niyo ako all throughout this journey of mine and don’t forget to vote. There’s four ways to vote for Miss Universe.
“Number one you have to download the voting application, through the Miss Universe website, and through the Miss Universe application, and through Miss Universe Twitter,” pahayag ni Maxine sa panayam ng media sa ginanap na Filipina Royalty event last weekend sa Okada Manila, Pasay City.
Ayon pa sa 26-year-old interior designer, nagkausap na rin sila ni 2015 Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach, “She doesn’t want me to be pressured too much. She just wants me to enjoy being me, being myself because Miss Universe is different now, you have to break that stereotype of being just like a beauty queen, just like a queen. You have to give it all, your character, what you can be, that you can prove them all that you can be anything.
“Pia and me were talking and then someone said, ‘Oh, it’s nice to hear you talking in Tagalog.’ So that’s why i got the idea na why can’t I speak in Tagalog? You should be proud of it. Same with the other candidates, they’re all proud of their languages. I will let you know if, you know, I will have a translator or I’ll be talking in Tagalog or English,” sey pa ni Maxine sa nasabing panayam.
Sa kabila ng mga pamba-bash sa kanyang tungkol sa pagsasalita ng English, naniniwala si Maxine na hindi ito magiging hadlang para mapansin ang Pilipinas sa darating na grand coronation night.
“Well what I think is that Miss Universe somehow needs someone who can really speak in English, a little bit of speaking in English because you know they need someone to reach out to these children, to reach out to the whole world. Like no matter what language you have, you can just connect with them through English.
“Well English is an universal language and that is how I can connect with the other candidates, with the other nationalities. And that’s the only way at least you’re able to share the message of Miss Universe,” chika ng Filipina bet.
Tungkol naman sa naging pahayag ni Miss Universe 1969 Gloria Diaz na napakaliit ng tsansang magkaroon ng back-to-back win ang Pinas, narito ang sagot ni Maxine, “Well everyone seems to think that because Gloria Diaz is also a candidate who won in another country. Let’s see on the pageant itself. No, I’m not affecting myself with that.
“Everyone thinks that way and who knows? We can have a back-to-back. Venezuela did that. In her own hometown. I’m not affecting myself so much about that because I’m here actually to focus to win the crown again for the Philippines,” esplika ni Maxine.
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Dahil sa sobrang pagod at puyat sa sunud-sunod nilang activities sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng bansa, ilang kandidata sa Miss Universe ang diumano’y nagkasakit.
Sa nakaraang luncheon event ng Miss U candidates with organizers and sponsors sa Makati nitong nagdaang Biyernes, muntik na raw mahimatay si Miss Curacao Chanelle de Lau habang ginaganap ang photo opportunities kasama ang ilang sponsors.
Nahilo rin daw si Miss Angola Luisa Baptista habang nasa stage kaya agad na tumawag ng security ang kanyang mga kasamahan para makababa agad sa stage ang beauty queen at makapagpahinga sandali.
Last week, muntik na ring mahimatay si Miss Italy Sophia Sergio habang ginaganap ang Governor’s Ball. Nabalita naman na isinakay sa wheelchair si Miss British Virgin Islands Ericka Creque matapos manghina sa ginanap na dinner event sa Cebu.
Sa ulat naman ng ABS-CBN, tumangging magpa-interview si Miss Nicaragua Marina Jacoby dahil masama rin daw ang pakiramdam nito dahil daw siguro sa jetlag. Hindi rin nakarating si Miss Poland Izabella Krzan sa ilang events ng Miss Universe sa Baguio at Davao dahil bigla rin sumama ang pakiramdam nito.