WATCH: Okay? Not okay? 2021 Binibini queens weigh in on viral question

During the Binibining Pilipinas 2021 coronation night, TV host Boy Abunda asks Iloilo's Karren Laurie Mendoza: 'Ngayon madalas nating naririnig na it’s okay not to be okay. My question is when is it okay not to be okay and when is it not okay to be not okay?'

The Binibining Pilipinas 2021 queens weighed in on what was arguably one of the most viral questions from the pageant’s question and answer portion during a guesting on Rappler Talk Entertainment.

During the Binibining Pilipinas 2021 coronation night, renowned TV host and Q&A mentor Boy Abunda asked Iloilo’s Karren Laurie Mendoza: “Ngayon madalas nating naririnig na (We often hear these days that) it’s okay not to be okay. My question is when is it okay not to be okay and when is it not okay to be not okay?”

All 5 women – Binibining Pilipinas International 2021 Hannah Arnold, Binibining Pilipinas Grand International 2021 Samantha “Sam” Panlilio, Binibining Pilipinas Intercontinental 2021 Cinderella “Cindy” Faye Obeñita, Binibining Pilipinas Globe 2021 Maureen Montagne, and Binibining Pilipinas 2nd runner-up Meiji Cruz – were in agreement: Karren, despite the difficulty and time pressure, answered the question eloquently.

“I would focus on the mental health aspect and I would pivot,” said Maureen. “I would definitely just talk about perseverance, processing your feelings, mourning loss… just really feeling everything so that you can use it as fuel and so you can turn your pain into purpose and passion.”

“When I heard that last question, I was like – ‘they asked the right girl.’ Because Karren is an advocate for mental health awareness. And the way she answered, I really liked the quote from the movie. I thought that was very impactful,” said Hannah.

“It’s okay not to be okay but it’s not okay to be not okay when you know that your invisible scars need treatment and you need to talk to someone,” added Hannah.

(Watch the video above to see all their answers)

The question and answer segment is often the most anticipated – and nerve-wracking – portion in a pageant. During the Binibining Pilipinas coronation night, finalists had only 30 seconds to answer questions that touched on different topics, from mental health to politics.

For Maureen, a veteran of pageants both here and abroad, while tricky questions are fun, they shouldn’t be what people fixate on. “I don’t think we need to ask trick questions. Of course, they’re fun for the fans. But I’d love to be asked more clear cut [questions] so we really see the girl, and not focus on the question,” she said.

Hannah, Samantha, Cindy, and Maureen will soon be competing in their respective international pageants. – Rappler.com