It’s been a month since the Miss Universe 2016 pageant has concluded, but the discussions and criticisms don’t seem to end any soon. National Artist for Literature of Philippines, Virgilio Almario, who also heads the Philippines’ language commission, expressed his disappointment over Maxine’s refusal to use an interpreter.
According to Virgilio, Maxine could have helped promote the national language and her answer could have made better sense to her countrymen if expressed in Filipino. Maxine Medina was among the Top 6 finalists at the recently concluded Miss Universe 2016 pageant, and although she was provide with a translator, she chose to answer in English.
The question asked to Maxine, at the finals was, “What is the most significant change you’ve seen in the world in the last 10 years?” To which Maxine answered: “The last 10 years of being here in the world is that I saw all the people being in one event like this in Miss Universe, and it’s something big to us that we are one, as one nation, we are all together.”
Expressing his disappointment, Virgilio recently said, “She was given a chance to speak in Filipino, she still spoke in English.” He further added, “I was so annoyed at that. The opportunity was wasted, that should have been it, even if she didn’t win, at least Filipino would have been heard by the entire world. It hasn’t been heard yet.”
Almario raised the topic on Wednesday, 1st March, at a press event for an international conference on translation and translation studies that the NCCA, the KWF, and the Filipinas Institute of Translation will host in September. Almario was discussing an NCCA project on language when he raised the issue. He brought up the issue and said that if Maxine would have chosen Filipino language, she would have made an impact on the judges and the audiences. He said, “Even if she didn’t win, what she said would have had a different meaning. Even if people said she said something stupid – that’s what’s being said, right? – even if it was stupid, if she said it in Filipino, it would have acquired a quality that…we would value more.”
Well, we feel that it’s totally upon the contestants whether they want to opt for a translator or not. And secondly, it’s a wastage of time and energy to discuss over something that has already happened in the past, as there is nothing one can do about it now..!! What is your take? Let us know your views in the comments section below…