BY ELLA MARIE MERCADO
“When is it okay to not be okay and when is it not okay to be not okay?”
The question came from veteran TV host Boy Abunda who also mentored the candidates during the pageant primer. It was randomly picked by Bb. Pilipinas candidate Karen Laurie Mendoza during the question and answer (Q&A) portion of the coronation night of Bb. Pilipinas 2021 last July 11.
The question stirred up various reactions from netizens due to its word play.
In a live interview with the Queens, Tito Boy once again raised the question for the ladies to interpret and answer.
Psychology graduate Meiji Cruz who won second runner-up revealed that she actually “liked” the question and if given the opportunity she would answer as follow:
“It’s okay not to be okay when you feel uncertainties: it’s part of life. We have to embrace it. We have to embrace sadness. But it’s not okay not to be okay when we let those uncertainties, those anxieties, take control over our lives. Because at the end of the day we have to have control over our lives,” she said gracefully.
For the bubbly Bb. Pilipinas Globe, Maureen Montagne:
“I’m okay. This question? Is not okay,” she answered, matching her quirky personality.
But on a more serious note, she said: “Its very important to process our feelings. Whether it’s a lost of a job, of a loved one. We need to mourn in order to release the negativity. And we need to take that pain and turn it into purpose and passion.”
For Cagayan de Oro’s Cinderella Obenita, who bagged Bb. Pilipinas Intercontinental, it all boils down to your feelings.
“We have our own personal timelines. We need to respect that, you see? We need to appreciate each other’s coping mechanism. We are not here to demand how that someone would feel. We just have to respect the feelings,” she elaborated.
Meanwhile, Bb. Pilipinas International Hannah Arnold answered that she would have done the same thing as Karen, by quoting a line from Disney and elaborated on the message to fit the question. This was to avoid getting confused by the word play of the question.
Samantha Panlilio, who bagged the Bb. Grand International crown, it’s all about reaching out especially in the advent of social media where communication and reaching out were made easier.
For Gabrielle Basiano who won 1st runner-up, it’s also about mental health and the context of losing loved ones especially in the time of pandemic.
The various response of the ladies wowed the TV host teasing that it was answerable after all.
Tito Boy admitted that it was the trickiest question in the pageant after hearing the other questions posed by the other celebrity judges, but said that he was confident that the girls would be able to handle the question.
“Among the people who asked the questions, I was the one who had exposure to you. Alam ko kaya niyo eh,” he clarified.
He further explained that the question was posed because he deemed it relevant given the situation.
It was a line of assurance, he said, that whatever hardship anyone is going through, is valid.
Watch the full interview here:
