Is this the end of Herlene Nicole Budol’s pageant journey?

MANILA, Philippines – After withdrawing from Miss Planet International, Herlene Nicole Budol caused a stir online when she hinted that she plans to end her pageant stint. 

“The end,” she said in a social media post on Wednesday, November 23, alongside a photo of her from the swimsuit segment of the Binibining Pilipinas 2022 competition. She also included an emoji of a face holding back tears, as well as the Philippine flag, in her caption. 

Herlene did not expound on her caption, but pageant fans flooded the comments section with messages of support, encouraging her to continue her pageant journey. 

The Binibining Pilipinas 2022 competition, which was Herlene’s first foray into the pageant scene, ended with her being 1st runner-up and even receiving several special awards on the coronation night. 

In an August interview after the Binibining Pilipinas 2022 coronation night, Herlene said that she’s still unsure if she’ll join a pageant again, adding that she might return to showbiz after. 

The now-postponed Miss Planet International competition was supposed to be Herlene’s first time to represent the country in an international pageant, but she had to withdraw due to “pageant debacles.” 

In a separate post, Herlene thanked the Filipino community in Uganda for assisting her and her team during her stay in the country. 

“Sobra pa sa korona ‘yung maiuuwi ko para sa Pilipinas dahil sa baon kong aral na natutunan. Napatunayan kong sa oras ng pangangailangan, may Pilipinong magdadamayan,” she said. “With or without [a] crown I’m proud to [be] a Filipina.” 

(More than the crown, I’ll be going home with life lessons. I was able to prove that in every hardship, it’s our fellowmen who will help us.) 

Herlene, who rose to fame as the “Sexy Hipon Girl” from the variety show Wowowin, was named first runner-up in the Binibining Pilipinas 2022 pageant in May. She was announced as the country’s representative to the Miss Planet International pageant in August. – Rappler.com