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- She said that during her preparations for the Miss World competition, she was not even allowed to see her family and use her phone.
- She also said that men would often pay them millions of pesos for a one night stand, and more if you agree to be their girlfriend.
Janina San Miguel broke her silence regarding the reason behind her decision to hand back her Binibining Pilipinas crown.
After over a decade since she turned her back on the world of pageants, the former beauty queen decided to appear in a documentary to talk about the said indecent practices in the country’s beauty competitions.
San Miguel was 17-years-old when she was crowned as Binibining Pilipinas-World back in 2008. Having won both the long gown and the swimsuit portion of the pageant, she became the frontrunner of their batch.
But even with her outstanding performance in the said segments, she’s mostly known as the lady in the viral memes, after her words in the question and answer round became immortalized in the world of social media.
In the recent interview, she admitted that she was caught off guard by the “indecent practices” in the industry. This includes having to sleep with men for money.
“Noong nandoon na kami, sinabi na 3 million (pesos) for a one-night stand. ‘Yung 25 million (pesos), gagawin ka niyang girlfriend, bibigyan ka niya ng car, condo, resort, lahat,” she said.
“Iyon na nga ‘yung maduming kalakaran nila. Ang dami talagang gustong maging girlfriend or wife ang isang beauty queen.”
She also recalled that she was not allowed to see her family and use her phone while she prepared and trained for the Miss World competition.
“There’s a point in time na nandoon na ‘yung brother ko at saka ‘yung daddy ko sa labas, pero sabi ng guard, ‘Since wala kayong appointment, umuwi na lang kayo.’ Ang balak pa nila, ayaw nilang sabihin sa akin na ‘yung lolo ko mamamatay na because I’m in the middle of training. Ayaw nilang ma-distract ako.”
San Miguel admitted to having felt unhappy during those times. This convinced her to hand back her Binibining Pilipinas title just three months before the 2008 Miss World competition.
It was also the time when she realized that she preferred to have a job away from the limelight. She removed her beauty queen past from her resume and started anew.
The former beauty queen is now a call center agent. She is also a wife and a mother who is currently enjoying her private life, away from showbiz.
“Much important ‘yung family ko, rather than wealth and fame.”
