Even Herlene couldn’t believe that she’d make it to Bb. Pilipinas Top 40.
You may know Herlene Nicole Budol as “hipon girl” on the noontime show Wowowin for her witty jokes and cheeky humor. Since then, the 22-year-old has been teased often to join pageantry for her long legs, to which she just brushes off, thinking she’d be doing comedy and hosting forever. But much to the surprise and delight of her fans, Herlene took on the challenge and exceeded all expectations when she decided to join Bb. Pilipinas 2022. And yes, you guessed it—she made it to the Top 40 shortlist, representing Angono.
Herlene is a queen in her own way, being honest to herself and to everyone around her, which honestly should be a sign of real-life royalty. A queen after our own hearts, we’ve rounded up reasons why she’s one of the realest pageant candidates we’ve seen in a while.
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1. SHE’S FULLY EMBRACED HER “HIPON GIRL” PERSONA
The term “hipon” may be offensive to some, but not to Herlene Budol. In fact, she’s embraced it, no matter what names her bashers call her. She even refers to her fans as “Hiponatics, mga KaSquammy, KaHipon, KaBudol.” We love a self-aware queen.
2. HERLENE’S BEEN CONSTANTLY SPEAKING IN HER MOTHER TONGUE
No pretense, no trying to fit in, Herlene Budol is one of the queens who prefer to speak in their mother tongue, which is Tagalog. “Hindi ko pipilitin ang mag-Ingles. Wikang Filipino po ang gagamitin ko,” Herlene shares in an interview. She isn’t afraid to crack some jokes in between, too.
3. SHE ASKED MISS UNIVERSE PHILIPPINES 2013 ARIELLE ARIDA IN THE PAST IF SHE STOOD A CHANCE IN BB. PILIPINAS
@jaymarbugcal #araarida #herlenebudol #bbpilipinas2022 ♬ original sound – JaymarBugcal
Arielle Arida initially thought that Herlene was joking about joining pageants due to her being kalog IRL. She sought Miss Universe Philippines 2013’s advice since they were co-hosts at Wowowin and harmlessly asked if she had a winning shot. But even before Herlene asked for tips, Arielle already saw her official photos and cheered her on.
4. HERLENE HAD THE BEST ANSWER TO CHOOSING BETWEEN ADOPTION AND IVF
@thamaraeditxz Handa na talaga lumaban si Herlene. #herlenenicolebudol #nicolebudol #hipongirlwowowin #binibiningpilipinas #binibiningpilipinas2022 #fyp #fypシ ♬ Fly – Nicki Minaj
On having kids, Herlene prefers to adopt than to have an IVF (in vitro fertilization). While some people may raise their eyebrows on this choice, she kept it real by saying that IVF is only for those who have the budget and that adoption is her wholehearted decision. The stigma on adoption honestly needs to end so props to Herlene for being straightforward.
5. HER PRIMARY ADVOCACY AS A QUEEN IS CENTERED ON AUTISM
@thamaraeditxz Beauty with Brain talaga si Herlene ❤️? #herlenenicolebudol #nicolebudol #herlenebudol #hipongirlwowowin #binibiningpilipinas #binibiningpilipinas2022 #fyp #fypシ ♬ suara asli – favmusicvibes
Aside from wanting to use her platform for the greater good, Herlene Budol has also vowed to dedicating her efforts towards children with autism and disabilities.
6. SHE STILL CAN’T BELIEVE THAT HER BB. PILIPINAS JOURNEY HAS ALREADY STARTED
It’s not easy joining the pageant world, let alone being discouraged for not fitting in the beauty queen mold. “Wearing my sash Angono Rizal it’s like kasama ko buong bayan ng Angono at mga Angoneño / Angonians sa prestihiyosong patimpalak na sinali ko Binibining Pilipinas,” Herlene says in a recent post where she posed with her official photo at Gateway Araneta. Winning the crown is one thing, but opening doors for more representation like what she did goes a long way.
7. HER CAPTIONS ARE FUNNY AS HELL
If there’s anything that her fans regularly look forward to is her daily dose of wisdom as seen on her captions. A wise philosopher once said, “Aanhin mo pa ang glutha kung panalo na si Angola” And i….Hip?n!”
8. SHE ONCE CRIED OUT OF FRUSTRATION FOR BEING UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE OTHER QUEENS
“Opo, indi ko po eto ikahihiya naiyak ako dahil sa English. But it doesn’t mean hanggang dyan nalang si Hipon girl nyo,” Herlene admits. Now that’s on queen behavior!
9. SHE’S NOT BOTHERED BY THE NEGATIVE COMMENTS
Despite the passive aggressive comments thrown at Herlene, she doesn’t mind at all. She sees it more as a motivation to prove them all wrong. “Pagsisikapan ko para maging confidently beautiful with a heart si Hip?n girl.”
10. HERLENE BELIEVES THAT 8 IS HER LUCKY NUMBER
Her official number in Bb. Pilipinas is number eight, believed to be a lucky number by the Chinese. “Professionalism, material freedom, kasaganaan and self-confidence ay nauugnay daw sa number 8 ng numerology. Isn’t it amazing!” Tell ’em!
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