Oh, the sheer absurdity of it all! Almost two weeks have passed since Miss Philippines, Nikki De Moura, didn’t make it to the top 20 in the Miss Grand International Beauty Pageant, and yet here we are, drowning in a sea of “ifs” and “buts.” It’s as if the world has come to a screeching halt, with everyone seemingly incapable of moving on. The news media, in particular, seems to have discovered a bottomless well of what-should-have-been and what-could-have-been scenarios.
Can we please just accept reality? Miss Philippines didn’t win. The earth still spins, the sun rises, and life goes on. But no, we’re too busy contemplating alternate universes where she clinched the crown, as if that would solve all the world’s problems.
Will we see this scenario play out all over again if Michelle Dee doesn’t bring home the Miss Universe crown?
Perhaps it’s time to redirect our collective energy towards more pressing matters, like climate change or global inequality. After all, there are far more important “ifs” and “buts” that demand our attention than a beauty pageant outcome. Let’s not let a tiara obsession distract us from reality any longer.
Ah, the Philippines, a nation where pageants and beauty queens reign supreme. It’s not just an event; it’s practically a national sport. The Philippines takes its beauty queens seriously, and I mean very seriously. So seriously, in fact, that some Filipinos would rather spend their hard-earned money on voting for Miss Philippines than on, well, something as mundane as rice.
In this peculiar land of beautiful smiles and perfectly coiffed hair, the pursuit of the crown is not just a matter of national pride; it’s a way of life. The entire country seems to come to a standstill when a beauty pageant is on, and the lengths people will go to support their favorite contestants is nothing short of awe-inspiring.
Now, you might be wondering what’s so wrong about this admiration for beauty queens. After all, it’s great to celebrate talent and beauty, right? Well, yes, but when the admiration takes precedence over basic necessities like food, we have a bit of a problem.
Consider this: in the Philippines, you can cast your vote for your favorite beauty queen by purchasing votes. Yes, you heard that right. You can actually buy votes to help ensure your chosen Miss Philippines makes it to the semi-finals. The irony? It costs money to vote, and that money could be better spent on, say, rice.
Let’s break it down. In this bizarre beauty pageant ecosystem, three votes can get you a kilo of rice with some change left over. Three votes! And that’s not all. If you’re feeling generous and decide to go all-in, 1000 votes can get you five 50-kilo bags of rice. That’s a lot of rice, folks.
But no, the allure of the beauty pageant is just too strong. Many Filipinos willingly part with their hard-earned cash, which could feed their families, just to see Miss Philippines inch closer to the crown. The idea of using that money to secure a stable food supply? Well, that’s just not as thrilling.
It’s almost as if the nation is collectively saying, “Who needs rice when we can have a tiara instead?” There’s something inexplicable about how beauty queens captivate the Filipino imagination. Maybe it’s the glamour, the glitz, or the chance to root for a local hero. But at what cost?
So, the next time you see a Miss Philippines contestant on the screen, bedazzled in sequins and sparkling under the spotlight, remember that there’s a Filipino somewhere deciding whether to vote for her or buy rice. And in this surreal pageant-obsessed world, rice might just come second to the glittering allure of the crown. Beauty queens may be majestic, but a hearty meal is just as beautiful.
Broadcast journalist-turned-blogger Jay Sonza posted some “breaking news” on his social media account, claiming that U.S. Congress rejected US President Joe Biden’s request for war aid for Ukraine, Taiwan and the Philippines, while accurately reporting that the U.S. House of Representatives approved $14.5 billion in assistance to Israel
The problem with Sonza’s post is that Biden’s request of $105 billion in war aid, of which the $14 billion aid to Israel was part of, never included anything for the Philippines.
Furthermore, Congress has approved the Israel funding but has not (yet) rejected those for Ukraine, Taiwan, U.S. border security and other humanitarian aid.
The Adobo Chronicles 
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