We all know who made it to the Top 7 of the Miss Universe Philippines 2021 Interview Challenge, and deservingly so. Gut-feel tells me that it was close and the scores must’ve been a point or just fractions of a point away from each other. But how about those who pageant fans wanted to see up there? What gives?

If you re-watch both videos like I did, here is how I see them:

Katrina Dimaranan – the thing with high expectations is that you tend to place her on top of the list. And the second something came a bit off, the overall assessment starts turning sour. During the fun facts part, her energy and delivery were just all over. I like that she had Justin Bieber moments. But to tell them like a fangirl almost squealing with delight was not what I expected. On top of that, her eyes were looking everywhere. She redeemed herself towards the second half, but the scores must have been decided by then.

Steffi Aberasturi – she actually did pretty well. The only thing that could have costed her a precious point to move up is that she still projects a Miss Teen aura – like a high school achiever of a Prom Queen who just finished a photoshoot for a Meg or Chalk magazine accompanying article. Inversely, the 18 year-old Simone Nadine Bornilla was a more tempered teen who went on with her answers convincingly.

Maureen Wroblewitz – not bad at all. She started on a very promising note and went about with her answers in a way that can be aptly described as impressive sliding down to just okay towards the end. With lesser competition from relative unknowns like Isabelle delos Santos and Megan Digal, she could have easily climbed to Top 5.

Leren Mae Bautista – the substance was still lacking, in my opinion. Like if I ask someone to answer a question with a simple Yes or No, I am not happy getting an “or”. The conviction has to be solid. Choosing between food and education with very limited financial resources can be an easy pick given these trying times. The same goes with choosing to change a personal experience. I would rather hear a more specific personal account than completely escaping the question and going for “I wouldn’t change anything”. Life struggles can be more telling (and convincing) for any judge.

Kisses Delavin – first off, the microphone really distracted me. She let go of the thing later on, but still continued using it until the end. And secondly, starting her answers with “Mr. Voltaire…” all the time led me to saying “kaloka”. But other than these two “irritants”, she gave more than decent answers that could have propelled her to a higher placement.

I am confident the five ladies above will make the Final 30. And by then, lessons will have been learned in order to handle more future pageant interviews better.