Miss Philippines Earth 2025 Joy Barcoma has continuously caught the attention of netizens for her sharp wit whenever she hosts pageants or faces interviews.
Her candid and funny remarks have become widely shared moments online, earning her admiration from both pageant fans but casual viewers alike.
It helps that being vocal and expressive has always been part of who she is—qualities that naturally shine through in her interview style.
"And I feel like it's naturally, it's natural for me to be very vocal, to be very expressive. So I'm just grateful for the people for accepting me for who I am."
But Joy admits that sometimes, the humor doesn’t flow as effortlessly.
The beauty queen opens up about this during her exclusive interview with PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) on March 31, 2026, while attending Purpose in Every Purchase: Beauty Queen’s Closet Sale, a charity bazaar organized by Miss Grand International 2025 Emma Mary Tiglao.
The event is held at the studio of renowned Filipino shoe designer Jojo Bragais in Quezon City.
Joy reveals: "Actually, wala. Humuhugot na lang... Hindi ko alam. Feeling ko nauubos na ako. So day by day, feeling ko nabobobo na ako. Naubos na siya."
When these moments of self-doubt arise, Joy's supporters—whom she fondly refers to as her "nakshies"—play a huge role in helping her regain her confidence.
"I would like to give out, of course, my thanks and gratitude to the people who keep on supporting me.
"Feeling ko, sa kanila lang talaga kung humuhugot, e, kasi sobrang dami kong mga nakshie na ang daming hirit sa buhay.
"So somehow, nakaka-get ako ng wit, ng idea, ng humor from them as well."
Read: Beauty Queens unite for Women’s Month charity
JOY BARCOMA ADDRESSes BULLYING ACCUSATIONS
As Joy’s popularity on social media soars, the increased attention has also drawn criticism and sparked blind items.
Recently, Joy addressed a blind item posted by an FM radio station claiming that a person whose name starts with the letter “J” was allegedly a “bully” during her student days.
The post was accompanied by an image showing only a woman’s eyes—an image that netizens said resembled Joy.
Yes FM Manila earlier shared the blind item on its Facebook page with the caption: "Sinong ‘J’ ang bully raw no’ng ESTUDYANTE pa?"
Joy did not stay silent and directly commented on the post, writing, "Joy Barcoma!" followed by a heart emoji.
She later added a retort directed at the radio station: "O eto naman — sinong 'Y' ang cloutchaser na radio station?" along with the station’s logo.
The blind-item post has since been taken down and is no longer accessible on Yes FM Manila’s Facebook page.
However, pageant vlogger Luis Portelles was able to save screenshots of the exchange, which he later shared on his own Facebook page.
Joy tells PEP why she chose to speak up and call out those behind the blind item.
"I think we should also call out these people, media man iyan, individual personality man iyan. Lalo na those who hold power, especially with them who have big influence.
"I don't think it's right that we use people for content or for clout, especially if we don't verify first the claims that they're claiming.
"Kasi it doesn't only ruin the reputation of the people, of the people that they're putting in their blind items, it also ruins their mental health, their sanity.
"So I don't wanna be contributing factor to that."
Joy also stresses the importance of ethics in media practice, calling for greater responsibility among content creators and reporters.
"Kung ako, I'm calling for responsible use of our platforms, of course, media ethics as well. Yung pinakaimportante, sana may, yung media ethics ina-uphold siya, lalo na myembro pa sila ng KBP."
YES FM is part of the MBC Media Group, which is a member of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), a non-government, non-profit organization of broadcast media practitioners in the Philippines that was established to promote professional and ethical standards in the industry.
Joy has shown the same assertive energy when responding to netizens who make similar accusations.
Following the YES FM blind item, she came across a comment that labeled her a “bully.”
Joy posted the screenshot, including that of the male netizen who accused her of such behavior.
Then she asserted that she and the male netizen “never even interacted in person back in college.”
She went on to explain that their interaction was limited to an online exchange, during which the male netizen—whom she described as a “21-year-old harmless boy” at the time—messaged her when she was just a 15-year-old college student, asking about "sexual stuff."
"Imagine calling me a bully pero when I read our convo, mabait naman ako sa ’yo pero ikaw pala yung hindi mabait sa’kin," Joy wrote on X (formerly Twitter) last March 28, calling out what she described as a misleading narrative.
The beauty queen further claimed that the male netizen who accused her of bullying is connected to the person who originally labeled her a "bully."
"I know this person pero ‘Messenger-friend’ lang kami. Never met him in person as far as I can recall.
"He’s also an admin of the group where the person who posted that I was a bully was also part of. In short, friends sila," she wrote.
To support her claims, Joy posted "another proof."
For Joy, before calling out someone else, one should look inward first.
"Ako naman, I don't hold grudges. It's just so... I think it's really just personal to me to call out a person, and then not looking at your inner, parang, wrongdoings as well,” she says during the interview.
Joy also emphasizes that she is not faultless, recognizing that she has made mistakes in the past.
"I don't wanna put myself on a pedestal and say na wala akong ginawang mali, like, for all my life.
"If I'm, if I'm gonna be honest, of course, I did my own parang share of mistakes in the past that I've grown from and I've learned from."
Another point she raises during the interview: people should not be judged solely based on their past, especially if they are actively working on becoming better versions of themselves.
"But I don't think it's right to hold the past against someone, especially if they're trying to build their character into their better selves, as well.
"And they're trying to improve as a person."
Lastly, she reiterates: "So akin lang, if you wanna call out someone, make sure na ikaw as a person wala ka ding ginawa.
"Sabi nga di ba, yung kay Mary Magdalene, sabi ni Jesus, lalo na, Lenten season ngayon, 'Kung ikaw, wala kang ginawang kasalanan, be the first to, to throw the stone.'
"Pero if you know within yourself na ikaw din, imperfect ka as a person, you also have your own share of wrongdoings, just be ano na lang, share the grace that you want other people to share with you as well."
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