10 Funny Answers From Filipina Beauty Queens

Sandra Lemonon’s honest and funny answer in the recent Binibining Pilipinas has made her the focus of many memes and jokes. But she isn’t the only one who’s given an unconventional pageantry answer. Take a look at some other unconventional answers Filipina beauty queens have given during the question and answer portion.

Contrary to the popular notion that beauty queens are just beauties without the brains, their intelligible and inspiring answers during the question and answer portion disprove that idea. Unfortunately, some beauty queens fall short in that area. Maybe from nerves or lack of knowledge, there are some who just can’t hit the nail on the head.

10 hilarious answers from Filipina beauty queens

1. Gloria Diaz, 1969 Miss Universe

The hospitality Filipinos are well-known for shined in Gloria Diaz’s winner answer during the 1969 Miss Universe.

When asked, “If a man from the moon landed in your hometown, what would you do to entertain him?” Diaz simply answered, “Just the same things I do. I think that if he has been on the moon for so long, I think when he comes over, he wants a change, I guess.”

2. Margie Moran, 1973 Miss Universe

During pageants, you usually hear pretentious and scripted answers about world peace. But Margie Moran changed that when asked, “Let’s make believe that you have a million dollars. What would you buy?”

She gave an honest but simple answer. “A house and lot, because it’s the most expensive thing and I can’t afford it. If I had a million bucks, I’d buy a house and lot and live by myself and other people, of course.”

3. Melanie Marquez, 1979 Miss International

When Melanie Marquez was asked “What part of your body would you change?” in the 1979 Miss International pageant, her answer was frank and simple. “I won’t change my legs because I’m contented with my long-legged.”

Some would call it narcissistic, but it’s for sure hilarious. To make it even funnier, her grammar was way off. But that didn’t stop her from winning the competition and taking home the crown.

4. Charlene Gonzales, 1994 Miss Universe Top 6

Aside from the question she got from judge Jonas McCord, the host asked her, “How many islands in the Philippines are there?”

Her slightly serious, maybe a little sarcastic but a hundred percent witty answer, “High tide or low tide?” got a laugh from the audience and the host. She then added her actual answer,  “Well in high tide, we have 7,107 and then low tide, we have 7,108.”

5. Jeannie Anderson, 2001 Binibining Pilipinas, Top 10

Being faced with a former Miss Universe would surely make you nervous as heck. So when 1969 Miss Universe Gloria Diaz gave Jeannie Andersen a question, “If you could be beautiful and not so smart, or brilliant and not-so-beautiful, what would you be and why?” The pale-faced and shaking Jeannie answered, “Well, I’d rather choose to be beautiful. Um, because to be beautiful, to be beautiful, it’s natural. But being smart you can learn. You can learn, um, a lot of things, a lot of things from experience. You can learn a lot of things being smart.”

6. Janina San Miguel, 2008 Binibining Pilipinas, Bb. Pilipinas World

Host Paolo Bediones asked the 17-year-old contestant, “What role did your family play for you as a candidate in the Binibining Pilipinas pageant?” She gave probably one of the funniest and most entertaining answers in the history of beauty pageants.

“My family’s role for me is so important because there was the… they’re…they was the one who’s very…oh, I’m so sorry. I’m okay. I’m so sorry. I told you that I’m so confident. Heto, uhm, wait. (Laughs nervously) Sorry, guys. Because this was really my first pageant ever because I’m only 17-years-old and I did not expect that I came from one of the top 10. But I said that my family is the most important persons in my life. Thank you.”

7. Venus Raj, 2010 Miss Universe, 4th runner-up

Venus Raj caught the attention of ABC News with her “major, major” answer during the 2010 Miss Universe.

When William Baldwin asked, “What was the one big mistake in your life, and what would you do to make it right?” she answered with confidence but a slight stutter, “In my 22 years of existence, I can say that there is nothing major, major, I mean, problem that I’ve done in my life. I’m confident that my family, with the love that they are giving to me. Thank you so much that I am here. Thank you, thank you so much.”

8. Joanlia Lising, 2013 Miss Philippines USA 2013

Another queen who’s nerves beat her was Joanlia Lising. She fumbled and stuttered when asked, “If you had to pick one out of the five senses, what would it be and why?”

“If I had to pick out of the five senses, I would pick seeing because seeing is the sense that we can ever see because seeing is believing. And believing…what you see is perfect and out of all the senses, seeing would be really be wonderful because…Thank you that will be it.”

9. Bellatrix Tan, 2016 Miss Earth Philippines, Top 12

The top 12 of the 2016 Miss Earth Philippines had to pick a slip of paper out of a jar. Written on the paper was a hashtag they had to explain.

Miss Zamboanga Bellatrix Tan picked #ElNinoLaNina. Unfortunately, the nerves got the best of her so she spat out an obviously wrong answer even though she knew what the right one was.

“El Nino, La Nina. El Nino is what we are facing right now. If we do simple things like planting trees, then we will not experience drought, right? So if we start now, we will achieve La Nina.”

10. Maxine Medina, 2016 Miss Universe, Top 6

Maxine Medina received a lot of criticism because of the question and answer portion of the 2016 Miss Universe. One is that she used a translator, even though she still answered in English. Two, maybe she misunderstood or was unprepared, either way, some people reacted negatively to her answer to the question “What is the most significant change you’ve seen in the world in the last 10 years?”

She said, “In the last 10 years of being here in the world is that I saw all the people bringing in one event like this, in Miss Universe. And it’s something big to us that we are one, as one nation we are all together. Thank you. Maraming salamat po.”