'Cancel culture is modern-day bullying': Katrina Jayne Dimaranan impresses at Miss Universe PH interview challenge
MANILA, Philippines — When Katrina Jayne Dimaranan won as Binibining Pilipinas Tourism in 2011, she thought her dreams of having a chance to compete at the Miss Universe stage was gone forever. It was an unwritten rule that once a candidate won a Binibini title, she can no longer compete in that same pageant ever. She won her Binibini crown when she was still 18 years old.
Now, a decade later, she sees a glimmer of hope because the selecting body is no longer the Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc. but the Miss Universe Philippines organization.
So, she grabbed her belongings and flew to Manila in the early part of the year to focus on her last bid to the national crown.
Considered a frontrunner and the candidate to beat, Katrina adds to her accomplishments a first runner-up finish at the Miss Supranational 2018 pageant, where she represented the United States.
After her Binibini journey, Katrina returned to the US to join the rest of her all-Filipino family and get immersed in her job as show host for a program directed to the Filipino communities in the States.
In the interview challenge over the weekend, Katrina remained her candid, bubbly self. Though viewers had to be quick in their hearing to catch her twang.
In her 45-second introduction, Katrina related that she had been to three Justin Bieber concerts by herself. "And in one, I looked him straight in the eye while he was singing and kinilig ako 'cause I knew we had a moment.
"Everybody knows I hate spicy food but I still carry it in my bag because I like the taste of it. And I know this sounds gross but watching Dr. Pimple Poppers is so satisfying for me.
"Now, call me spontaneous because I've stayed in one of the most haunted hotels in California and it was so scary because the volume of the TV kept going up and down the whole night. It was so scary.
"And during the pandemic, I learned to make kare-kare. It was so delicious . . ." (the last part of what she said was muted as it went beyond the allotted time).
She was then asked, "In today's world, someone or some group often claims to be offended by something. Do you think that the world has become too politically-correct and too sensitive?"
After checking the audio in her device, the 28-year-old representative of Taguig City blurted out, "I don't think that the world has become too politically-correct. I think that what is going on right now is cancel culture that we need to get rid of. I feel that it is a modern day (form) of bullying. And I also feel that we need to stop cancel culture because it's as if we keep judging people based on what their opinions are - if it's opposing with ours, all of a sudden, it's wrong! Cancel culture needs to disappear because it seems we lost emphaty for people."
Will Katrina finally fulfill her dreams this time around? Stay tuned for the revelation of the Top 30 in a few days - who makes the cut and gets to continue their MUPH journey.
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