Speech round

SamPan's message for MGI's 'stop the war & violence' campaign

By Earl D C. Bracamonte

The 10th edition of the Miss Grand International is slated on October 25, 2022 while the national finals would unfold somewhere in June or July. Yet, this early, the pageant community has been in an uproar because of Nawat Itsaragrisil's "word war" with the Miss Supranational organization.

It started when reigning Miss Supranational Chanique Rabe was asked what her title meant, during a live interview. She explained that 'supranational' meant 'without borders' and that the title is one of five grand slam crowns that include Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss International, and Miss Earth. And, true enough, that's what research materials will show you when you search the subject.

However, the president of MGI took it the wrong way when Chanique did not include his pageant in the enumeration and was quick to point out that all the aforementioned titles were minor crowns! This prompted the spokesperson of the Supranational organization to post a cryptic message that read, "If you put a crown on a clown, you don't expect a king!"

Well, we hope this verbal exchange does not go on from heretofore. And since we are on the subject of the MGI pageant system, let us, instead, share Binibining Pilipinas Grand International 2021 Samantha Alexandra Panlilio's speech had she landed in the Top 10.

Over the weekend, the brainy Caviteña delivered and shared her speech on Samantha Bernardo's Kumu channel to the glee of its viewers. To wit:

"One of history's most influential people, Martin Luther King, said 'I have a dream!' In Thai, you say 'Chan mi khwam fan.' In Spanish, 'Tengo in sueño.' In Mandarin, 'Wu you yige mengxiang.' In French, 'J'ai un reve.' And in my country, we say, 'May pangarap ako!' Do you hear how powerful that statement is felt in any language?

"Every person, every child should be entitled to pursue their dream. However, during these times of war, conflict, and the pandemic, how can those people affected focus on their dreams when they are focused on mere survival? I am not a superhero and I cannot solve all these problems in one lifetime. But I am Miss Grand Philippines and a peace ambassador of my country, and I am standing in front of you today because, like you, I, too, am a dreamer. So let's take action and create a safe space for children to aspire freely.

"Let's leave a timeless legacy that will serve as a reminder of what is our duty to humanity, to close the divide, promote equality, and educate those around us to inspire generations to follow. And this is what I'm going to live by forever, the very essence of Miss Grand International. Khob khun kap!"

A lot of pageant enthusiasts find it unbecoming for an organization to engage, or even initiate, verbal spats; moreso for one who espouses to put a stop to all kinds of conflict. Furthermore, much of a person's worth and stature, both natural and juridical, are weighed in by other people - and not by self-serving assessments given by oneself.