Thursday, June 21, 2012

Gwendoline Ruais' Botched Walkout; Cory Quirino’s Sensible Advice

source: mb.com.ph


MANILA, Philippines – The 2011 Miss World First Princess Gwendoline Ruais would have walked out on Miss World Philippines Gala Night 2012 if not prevented by Cory Quirino, the exclusive licensee and national director of Miss World Philippines.

Gwedoline's mother, Malou Ruais, claimed her daughter was rudely treated at the event.

“Nag-rehearsal and everything so antay sila [Gwendoline] nang antay. Nagugutom na sila. ‘Anong oras ba kami bababa?’ Ang sabi cocktail-cocktail. Bumaba na sila pero wala namang instruction na puwede nang bumaba, walang tumatawag sa amin.

"Finally, bumaba na si Gwen [pero] ‘yun pala tinawag na pala siya,” Mrs. Ruais related to the media after the Gala Night presentation at Dusit Thani Hotel, June 19.

Gwen was one of the judges in the Gala Night. Her name was called but she had not joined the panel of judges, which probably had people thinking she was not yet in the venue even when she was just inside her room all along.

“If they were organized dapat an hour or 30 minutes before the show ay pinapunta na sila sa backstage,” Mrs. Ruais said.

Shouting match?

The elder Ruais claimed that someone raised a voice at her daughter undeservedly.

“Pagkababang-pagkababa [ni Gwen], itong si Marie (said to be a TV5 staff) ay sinigawan si Gwen. Sinabi na ano…basta di ko alam ‘yung exact words. ‘Bakit ngayon ka lang? You’re late!’ or whatever.”

Gwen, it seems, did not let this pass. “Sabi ni Gwen, ‘I’ve been here in my room since three o’clock so how can you say that I’m late? And you don’t have to shout. You can tell me [about it] in a nice way.’”

When Gwen went to sit down among the judges, a staff was said to have come to stop her from doing so.

“Sabi [ng staff], ‘Wala ka ng chair. You are not judging.’ Bastos nga. Pag-upo ni Gwen ay di na raw magdya-judge si Gwen. Umupo na siya sa likod [ng stage].

"Pagdating sa likod [ay] gano’n din, impolite sila,” the elder Ruais alleged.

Walkout

With this, Gwen, together with her mom, decided to leave the place pronto but not without Mrs. Ruais informing Cory about it.

“Si Ms. Cory [Quirino] nga ay humabol sa amin. Nag-walkout na nga si Gwen. Sabi ni Gwen, ‘I’m not going to do this. I’m not one of the candidates na sisigaw-sigawan nila. They think na I’m one of the candidates, that I will not say anything. I’m here since three o’clock. They didn’t even give me food and they have no right to shout to me this way. I’m so polite with them. This has to stop.’”

However, she noted, “We continue to do the show kasi nga si Ms. Cory ang nag-request. For the love of Ms. Cory [we stayed]. Nag-walkout si Gwen. Kung hindi lang kay Ms. Cory ay hindi na babalik si Gwen.”

Cory, as claimed by Mrs. Ruais, said, “‘No, I need Gwen here.’”

The beauty queen, who was in tears then, retorted, “‘Yeah, but I’m all in tears.’ [She was told,] ‘You can have a few minutes to retouch.’”

Arrogant production staff?

Obviously seething with anger, Mrs. Ruais complained that a certain “Ms. Sheena,” whom the former claimed is a TV5 production staff member, was rude to her beauty queen daughter.

“Nu’ng tinawag na si Ms. Cory ay dumating si Ms. Sheena na ang yabang-yabang pa. Hindi na lang sabihin, ‘Okay, what’s happening here?’ Ano pa, ang yabang-yabang. As usual, impolite na naman. Sabi niya, ‘If she doesn’t want to do it I can omit her in the [show],’” she related.

“Tapos sabi ko, ‘Can I have a few minutes with Ms. Cory?’ Ayaw lumabas ni Ms. Sheena so I have to beg three times. Can you please stay out of the room. Ayaw pa niya [lumabas]. Tatlong beses I had to ask her. Sabi ko, ‘Please stay out of the room.’”

Hostile environment?

Continuing with her rants, Mrs. Ruais pictured a somewhat disheartening scenario.

“For several days na, very unwelcoming sila. Nu’ng press conference ay marami na kaming naririnig from the other girls pero dinifend pa rin sila ni Gwen. Nagtatanong ‘yung mga candidates. ‘Gwen, you said they were friendly last year?’

Mrs. Ruais reiterated that she is telling the truth.

“I don’t care kung sinasabi nilang hindi raw ako puwedeng magpa-interbyu. Kailangang malaman nila ‘yung totoo.”

Asked if Gwendoline will grace the grand conronation night on June 24 at the Tent of the Manila Hotel, Mrs. Ruais’ replied, “She doesn’t know yet.”

Cool as cucumber

A day after gala night, Bulletin Entertainment was able to get Cory Quirino’s side.

With characteristic coolness, Cory was quite nonchalant about the seemingly ugly scenario depicted by Mrs. Ruais.

“You know I learn to rise above all these differences and mga personal slight kasi ang daming personalities involved sa isang pageant,” she cooed.

“Ako, cool lang ako because I really don’t know what the issue is with Malou. I’m trying to make her very happy. Siyempre my heart goes to Gwen kasi she’s my first Ms. World Philippines. Parang anak ko ‘yan, eh. Gusto ko namang alagaan siyang mabuti.”

Rise above the challenge

Like any doting mom would have done, Cory gave Gwendoline sensible advice.

“I told Gwen yesterday, kahit ano’ng mangyari you will always be Miss World Philippines. And whatever happens you must learn to rise above every challenge and crisis in your life. As part of being a queen you must be gracious enough to forgive people for their shortcomings. That’s part of being a queen.

“So, nag-walk siya. She did her duty. I told her you must learn to live up to that crown and show that you are every inch the queen that you are. I’d like to see the queen in you come out. I have faith in you that you will rise above little differences, ‘yung mga disappointments. No matter what anyone says, I said, ‘Gwen, you’re still Miss World Philippines.’”

Reaction on altercation

Cory is unsure about the shouting match that supposedly happened between Gwen and a TV5 staff member.

“I don’t really know if that is really true kasi first of all Malou is not there. Malou is not part of the training of the girls,” she said.

But had there been any screaming, “Hindi ko papayagan ‘yan. ‘Di ako papayag diyan.”

She has a theory on what happened.

“There are times that you have to be firm when you’re training them because these are seventeen, eighteen year olds. Mga anak mo ‘yan. ‘Di ba minsan ‘yung mga nanay sinisigawan ang mga anak? I heard some of the trainors said that we are very strict with you because we want you to be perfect on pageant night. Because baka mapunta ka sa abroad, you’re not ready. The pressure abroad is worse, times ten ‘yan.”

The pressure, she said, was evident when Gwendoline competed abroad.

“Nakita ko, eh. Gwen lost six pounds. So I’m not so sure about the shouting that is coming from Malou, who is the mother of Gwen. Malou is with us because it’s 2012 batch.”

Food in abundance

For Cory, there is no reason for Gwendolyn to have gone hungry.

“Ang daming pagkain. There’s always plenty of food. I cannot believe about being hungry. There’s always a lot of food.”

She offered what the beauty queen could have done to remedy such a situation.

“Kung gutom siya (Gwen), her PA (production assistant) could go down and get her food, ‘di ba? There are many things that all of us can go out of our way to… I don’t want to blame people. Kusang loob na rin ‘yon. Kung gutom ang anak mo, then you ask your PA to go down and get her food.

“I’ve been on television for 21 years. When they say taping is [at] ten, nandoon ako ten, before ten pa nga. Dapat kung alam nila na the program starts at 7:30 p.m., common sense lang naman ‘yon, ‘di ba? Come down. Trabaho ng PA ‘yan.”

She admitted seeing Mrs. Ruais’s moment with “Sheena.”

“She’s tough, she’s strict,” Cory said about Sheena.

“I watch that. I watch ‘yung intramurals nilang dalawa. Well, human nature. These are things na kaya naman nating ayusin. Maliliit na gusot lang ‘yan. Eh, ‘di maghanap ng plantsa. Plantsahin ang gusot, ’di ba?”

Cory is not bothered a bit by Mrs. Ruais’ complaints.

“I’m cool because I’m focused on the crown. 61 years [na] hindi napunta sa Pilipinas ang crown. Kaya ‘yung mga maliliit na problema dito...”

She hopes Gwendoline would still grace coronation night on Sunday.

“That’s her duty as Miss World. The real queen will come out if she shows up on pageant night. That is her duty.”

Kinder

Cory also answered our query about Mrs. Ruais’ comparison between GMA-7 and TV5’s handling of the Miss World events.

“Kanya-kanyang style. It’s just this year I am more hands-on. I’m involved in all so nakikita lahat ng paghihirap nila. Last year GMA took over the production. I was not involved. “

Although she respect’s the elder Ruais’ opinions, “I don’t think she’s in any position to judge because she’s not in the inner circle now of TV5 and the pageant. They’re not with us every day. Last year she was there because her daughter was a candidate. Iba ang kanyang perspective. Kumbaga, tip of the iceberg ang nakikita niya.

“Kung ihuhusga niya ang TV 5, nasa sa kanya na ‘yon. Whatever opinion she has of TV5 I respect that. Whatever opinion she has of me, I respect that. Ako, hindi ako maghuhusga.

“But I think she should be kinder to TV5.”

source: mb.com.ph

No comments:

Post a Comment