Ah, the Philippines, a nation with a fervent passion for beauty pageants that rivals the intensity of a thousand suns. 

It’s remarkable how, year after year, they manage to convince themselves that the universe owes them crowns and titles. The over-expectation on their candidates to international beauty pageants is a spectacle in itself, as if the judges should bow down and declare a Filipino queen regardless of the competition’s actual rules and standards.

It’s almost comical how they scrutinize every judge’s decision, demanding that their countrywomen be showered with tiaras and sashes. Can’t we just let the experts do their job? Pageants are not a birthright, and success is determined by merit, not by national entitlement.

And speaking of entitlement, the recent suggestion by no less than Rappler to pull out from Miss Grand International because Nikki didn’t place is just ludicrous. No Filipina has ever won the crown, but does that mean the Philippines should stomp off in a huff? Perhaps it’s time to take a step back and reevaluate the real importance of these pageants in the grand scheme of things. 

Beauty pageants are fun and entertaining, but they shouldn’t define a nation’s worth or dictate its self-esteem. Let’s leave the speculation to the experts and the decisions to the judges, and maybe, just maybe, enjoy the pageants for what they truly are—glitzy, glamorous shows that offer a temporary escape from the daily grind.

And what do you know, as we speak, Inquirer has already decided that our representative to the 2023 Miss International will place, if not win the crown! On what basis?