Hindi nakapagpigil si Miss Grand International founder at owner Nawat Itsaragrisil at direktang tinanong si Miss Grand Philippines 2024 CJ Opiaza tungkol sa akusasyon ng Pinoy pageant fans.
Tinatawag ng maraming Pilipino na "cooking show" ang Miss Grand International dahil sa loob ng 12 taon ay wala pang Pinay candidate na nananalo sa Thailand-based international pageant na ito, kahit sa tingin nila ay malalakas naman ang mga ipinapadala ng ating bansa.
Read: Miss Grand International president Nawat Itsaragrisil, sentro ng bashing
WHO IS CJ OPIAZA?
Sa preliminary interviews ng ongoing Miss Grand International 2024 pageant sa Thailand nitong nakaraang October 19, 2024, humarap si CJ sa mga hurado sa isang closed-door interview.
Pagpapakilala ng Pinay beauty queen: "I am Christine Juliane Opiaza, you may call me CJ, as everybody calls me.
"I'm 26 years old, and I'm hailing from the beautiful country of the Philippines.
"I would say I am a very multi-faceted woman. I wear different hats.
"I am a model, a host, a pasarela coach, I am a mental health advocate, and most importantly, I am the breadwinner of the family.
"I am a mental health advocate, particularly for my fellow breadwinners, because I want to share their stories and my stories, and I believe that would allow me to inspire more people, young women as well, and others who are listening to me, to know that there is a power within you that you can use to be an inspiration and to be an instrument for others as well.
"At times, you may not feel that you are not your own inspiration, but you can be an inspiration to others, so you should take that chance within you.
"I would also say that this is like a second chance for me to join Miss Grand International, because back in 2022, I joined a national pageant in the Philippines, and I was aiming for Miss Grand International, and I was glad that my sister, Roberta [Tamondong], was the one who won the crown during that time and represented the Philippines.
"And so I took the chance when I was able to, we were able to have another separate pageant for Miss Grand International in the Philippines. And so I said, 'This is my chance, maybe,' and so I tried, even though I know that I would be given just three days to prepare and be here.
"Yes, I know it is a challenge, but I also know deep in my heart that I was preparing for the competition for how many years already, because I've always wanted to perform.
"I've been dancing a little bit away from being sexy and glam.
"I am a hip-hop dancer before, when I was a kid, yes, and now I am pushing through being a pasarela coach, and I've always wanted to have my own studio, and maybe use it also as a dance studio, and train other girls as well.
"Also, I am a graduate of Business Administration, major in Human Resource Development Management.
"However, I wasn't able to pursue the path of corporate jobs, because I wanted to, I needed to fill in the responsibility of being the breadwinner, and I feel like being in the modeling and entertainment industry would allow me to feed my family and everything that they need as well.
"And that is a very practical mindset of mine, and so I pursued that category in life, and I am able to pursue my passion, and at the same time, I would say it's a luxury, and a privilege that is given to me."
"What unique qualities do you bring to this competition?"
Sunod na tanong ng isang hurado, "As you said, you like to inspire the others,
what unique qualities do you bring to this competition to inspire another people?"
Sagot ni CJ: "I would say my life is definitely a rollercoaster, and before, I am a bit shy of sharing my stories, but beauty pageants [allow] us to open up more about ourselves, become more confident and comfortable in being who we really are, and what we want to share to other people.
"And I think that is the common denominator of any pageants, and that is to bring out someone's confidence through personality and being able to bring out their own stories. And my intention in joining this competition is that, first, I'd be able to perform in the grandest stage in the whole world.
"Secondly, of course, I'd be able to share my story more internationally. And to all my fellow breadwinners out there, I would just want to say that you are doing great, and I don't want you to lose hope in your own dreams, and in your own passion, that you can also make something out of it.
"Hopefully, you'll be in the Miss Grand International 2025, or the coming years, and you don't know, you can change someone's lives because I am changing, even just one life, and that for me is already a victory, and being able here, I'll be able to change more lives, and I'll be gaining more victory and success."
Read: Miss Grand International loses almost 2 million followers on Instagram after grand coronation
CJ OPIAZA ON MISS GRAND BEING A "COOKING SHOW"
Ang kasunod na nagtanong ay si Nawat.
Sabi ni Nawat, "I would like to ask Philippines, okay? In the past, we have a little conflict about Miss Grand International and Philippine fans, all the time, up and down, up and down.
"Do you have any message to Philippine fans to make the situation is getting better?
Can you share the message now?"
Paliwanag ni CJ: "Well, I know the Philippines is just really maybe hungry to win the first golden crown, that's why, and we have our own perspective.
"But me being here would definitely... I would use this very opportunity to tell you all that Miss Grand International is very much different from how you are trying to perceive it.
"Because I would say, I would definitely say that Miss Grand International, all the people working, the board of directors, everyone behind the staff, and everyone we are working with, the girls, and everyone, the media people, they are very much professional.
"They are very much creative, and they put so much heart, they put so much hard work in everything that they do, and they just want to bring out the best pageant in the country, and they just want to produce a girl who would represent and be an ambassador of Miss Grand International.
"And that is very... that is for the very essence of bringing out the beauty of Miss Grand International, how we are as a women, our power, unleashing it to our fullest potential. And that is the very job of Miss Grand International—and they are doing it every single day, I would say.
"Really, I'm having so much fun here. There is no such, yeah... I do not see it in a way how others are trying to perceive it. That's why I am making use of this time to tell you all to cleanse your minds, and change your mindset that Miss Grand International is truly a competition that you should be in."
Kasunod na tanong ni Nawat: "Okay, one of your hobbies, cooking. All Philippine fans always call us 'cooking show.'
"What do you feeling? You are cooking too. Your hobby, you like cooking and they call me 'cooking show.' How you feeling and what you want to say?"
Matapang naman itong sinagot ni CJ.
Nakangiting sabi niya, "Well, again, I would say to all the Filipino fans, cooking in Thailand, their dishes is what I am looking forward. And I love their dishes.
"I hope we just... you know, focus more on the definition of what is cooking, because we are just cooking the most perfect girl here, for the grand crown."
Pagsang-ayon ni Nawat, "I agree."
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Read: CJ Opiaza, di kasama sa Top 8 ng Miss Popular ng MGI 2024
NAWAT ALREADY APOLOGIZED TO PINOY FANS
Nauna nang nagpakumbaba at humingi ng tawad si Nawat sa mga Pinoy pageant fans sa kung anumang hindi pagkakaintindihan nitong mga nakalipas na taon.
Noong November 24, 2022, bumisita si Nawat sa Pilipinas para pasinayaan ang launching ng Miss Grand International 2022 sa ilalim ng ALV Pageant Circle ni Arnold Vegafria.
Noong mga panahong iyon, inakusahan ng pageant fans na “luto” o "cooking show" ang Miss Grand International dahil sa loob ng lagpas na sampung taon na isinasagawa ang beauty pageant, wala pang Philippine representative na nananalo ng korona, kahit malalakas ang ipinapadala nating mga kandidata.
Sabi ni Nawat noon, "I do apologize if anything happened before, if it happened, or if you're thinking something happened.
"Any rumor, anything, leave it there. We stop now.
"Now and the future is most important. We are the same world, we the same mission. The most important, we must learn together.”
Read: Miss Grand International founder Nawat Itsaragrisil apologizes to Pinoy pageant fans