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MANILA, Philippines – Miss Grand International 2016 1st runner-up Nicole Cordoves said that she is very happy with how she placed in the competition even though some said that her controversial answer during the question and answer portion could have affected the results.
Nicole’s answer during the pageant made headlines. When she and the other candidates were asked to select who among the two US presidential candidates – Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton – they would pick to help “stop the war and violence,” she picked Trump. Trump is well known for racist, misogynistic, and divisive remarks that have been roundly criticized throughout the campaign.
At the time, she said: “I would choose Donald Trump to stop the war and violence with me because if we choose him to switch to our side there won’t be war and violence anymore.
“So, I will also make sure that he will read my speeches to stop the war and violence because imagine someone who would bring so much madness and so much emotion from these people. What if we use his voice to actually do good for the world? What if we use that to our advantage? That’s why let’s keep the peace and let Donald Trump switch to our side to stop the war and violence.”
After the press conference for her on Thursday, November 10, Nicole shared that after her answer during the pageant, if people listened well, they would have heard a lot of people applauding and cheering for her.
“They really understood the answer. And I was really applauded for that,” she said.
While some may have not liked the question, she loved the challenge and was even commended for being one of the bravest ladies to stick to her belief.
“I got branded as the bold, brave, smart Binibini ever. The boldest and bravest. And there was even this hashtag ‘#ConvictionOverAmbition,'” she said.
During the press conference, which was also the send-off party for her Binibining Pilipinas sisters Joanna Eden and Nichole Manalo, Nicole was asked if she thought she might have won the title if the competition and the elections happened at the same time.
“I don’t think so,” she said. “Because maybe the organizations saw something in Miss Indonesia [Ariska Putri Pertiwi] that I don’t have. All I know is that I gave my best walk, my best performance on and off the stage. I gave the best answer, so they must be looking for something else. And I respect the destiny of every girl there on that stage. So I don’t think it wouldn’t have changed the results.”
She also said that she wouldn’t mind getting hired as a speechwriter for Trump. Nicole used to be the speech writer of former Finance secretary Cesar Purisima.
Later, Nicole told ABS-CBN in an interview: “Hi Donald Trump, please, please hire me as your speech writer. I make good speeches and I will make people like you more.”
She was also asked what message she felt Trump’s win communicated to the international community.
“If you notice the trend now in the recent elections, it’s more of people going against an established political order. You know, people are expecting change and suddenly, these icons, these figures present something so totally different being a traditional politician, that they don’t want to maintain the system anymore.
“They want something quite unexpected. And like in the past year in the speeches I’ve been making, it all begs the question what is the new direction of the world? Like where’s the world going right now? That’s the big question,” she said, adding that people want answers.
Miss Grand International moments, future plans
But it wasn’t just about Trump and politics for Nicole. In an interview with reporters after the press conference, Nicole shared some details behind the scenes of Miss Grand International. Some of the moments include spending time with her roommate, Miss Peru Prissila Howard, and other delegates.
Of her friendship with Prissila, Nicole said: ” She’s the sweetest, kindest girl. I actually thought that the two of us, kami yung magtatapatan (it would be us facing off). I thought we were going to be the ones holding hands during the announcement. Even everyone in the Philippines thought that.
“But she encourages me. We help each other out, we even pick each other’s clothes,” Nicole said, that even Prissila’s national director was impressed by her.
Aside from Prissila and the Asian delegates, some of the candidates she spent time with were the ladies from Poland, Brazil, Luxembourg, England, Italy, and South Sudan.
She was also asked about working with Miss Grand International as the 1st runner-up. Nicole said that she’s not yet aware of the plans but was told that the organization plans to visit the country soon.
“I know that Mr Nawat [Itsaragrisil, founder] has plans to do some charity work here in the Philippines. And I’m so excited to present like my advocacy to him and actually bring him to Tondo, where I’ve been doing all of my advocacies. As for being a working 1st runner-up, I hope so. But it’s not the only opportunity that I have now to use my voice. I believe that coming back here in Philippines, I’ve spoken so much more than I ever have in my life. And I don’t think that my gift of speech was wasted because I really thanked the Miss Grand International for giving us the opportunity to actually put a spotlight in our voice and what we have to say,” she said.
Now that the competition, is over, Nicole is looking forward to using her skills for other projects with Bb Pilipinas and her charity work. She also said that she would love to be a news correspondent once her reign as Bb Pilipinas is done.
“Right now I’m still building on my brand. Like I’m milking the opportunity now, this time frame that I have. So before going to the newscasting, I’m still building my name continually as a Bb Pilipinas queen and as a Miss Grand International queen. So I’m focusing more on advocacies now,” she said. – Rappler.com
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