'Comfort the afflicted, afflict the comfortable': Cinderella Faye Obeñita explains controversial Binibining Pilipinas answer
MANILA, Philippines — The day after the grand coronation night, Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc. (BPCI) gathered the newly-crowned Binibining Pilipinas 2021 queens in a virtual forum to answer queries on their respective journeys, during and after the pageant.
BPCI officer Gines Enriquez served as the colloquium's moderator. The mid-afternoon broadcast started with vignettes from the coronation rites. He then asked the girls, one by one, if they have seen the final show in its entirety.
"I've seen some portions of the show the morning after. Everything happened so fast. I wanted to see how I did in the swimsuit round 'cause I won Best in Swimsuit," shared 2nd runner-up Meiji Cruz.
First runner-up placer Gabrielle Basiano said she saw the show from the beginning. "I wanted to see what we prepared for. My favorite portion was the Evening Gown competition 'cause I won Best in Gown."
Bb. Pilipinas Globe winner Maureen Montagne watched the show with half of her Binibini sisters. "We had a watch party, enjoying it with chocolates and popcorn. It was nice witnessing the fun and charming moments."
Bb. Pilipinas International winner Hannah Arnold revealed that she only saw the fan edits and the opening number, while Bb. Pilipinas Grand International winner Samantha Panlilio confessed that her favorite part was the production number. She added she only saw clips of the show and had to watch it still.
Bb. Pilipinas Intercontinental winner Cinderella Faye Obeñita was then asked about her Question & Answer (Q&A) response, especially with the phrase "comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable." The Cagayan de Oro beauty went on to say she liked that her reply made an impact.
"I was talking about different levels of comfort - like people in power and people in business institutions. It meant really helping the marginalized communities. Let's shake up the status quo. If we have resources, we can leave an impact on them. We're knocking on the hearts of the privileged - let's give back, share it and have a meaningful life by helping the underprivileged."
Enriquez then asked the girls how they felt prior to answering their final question.
Meiji said she was relaxed at first but when she realized people were listening to her, that's when she felt the nervousness and the pressure. "But I was glad I finished answering the question."
In a previous Binibini edition, a semifinalist buckled when asked about the government's "Build, Build, Build" program.
Gabrielle said she was looking at something black so she won't be distracted, while Samantha stated that she zoomed everything out so she'll stay calm. She added that she was looking at the judges because it gave her comfort, knowing that someone was listening to what she was saying.
Maureen shared that she was listening to everyone's questions to see if they're difficult or tricky, and answered them in her head. "They say the best answer are the most honest ones. So I listened to my gut instincts and answered like I was just talking to a friend."
Hannah said she was looking for water as she was afraid to lose her voice when her turn came. She was praying for a question where she can deliver a message of hope.
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