The delay in the announcement of the winner of Bb. Pilipinas International 2022 during the coronation night last July 31 caused an online stir.
Pageant host, Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray went to the extent of clarifying and explaining on her Facebook page that the results were very much "valid" and the "candidates are wearing their rightful crowns."
Still, the new Bb. Pilipinas International 2022 Nicole Borromeo admitted that she was "hurt a little" when she saw posts putting her crown at the center of the controversy.
"I'd be lying if I didn't say it hurt a little because people are saying things like, it shouldn't have been me? To see all these posts, it did make me feel bad like...am only human when you see something like that, right?," she replied when asked by the Manila Bulletin about the issue.
"Even though I feel in my heart that it's not true, it still made me feel hurt. I do trust the Binibini organization at the end of the day because if there has been a mistake, am sure they would have corrected it on the spot," she added.
Sources from within Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc. pointed out that the announcement of the Bb Pilipinas International winner which took one minute was caused by double-checking and communicating properly the results.
The 21-year-old newly-crowned Queen from Cebu City said the reality of her winning the most-coveted Bb. Pilipinas International crown hasn't sunk into her yet.
"It doesn't feel real yet. It hasn't sunken in. Maybe in the next week, I'll feel it. The pageant was a few days ago, it's still very fresh," she noted.
She pointed out the fact that she will have a "very long reign" as it will be Bb Pilipinas International 2021 Hannah Arnold who will compete for the Miss International 2022 pageant in Tokyo this coming December.
"Am gonna use the time to my advantage. I will talk to BPCI about working on a timeline for my reign. I get to relax in the meantime, but I want to do something productive, something that's going to work for the long term," Borromeo, an interior design student, said.'
She revealed that it's her dream and her advocacy to collaborate with Habitat for Humanity on "housing for all" because a roof over their heads will give homeless people "the mental fortitude to go on with life."