Eight years after ending the country’s 42-year Miss Universe drought, former titleholder Pia Wurtzbach said she still feels giddy whenever her old tweet about winning for the country continues to receive engagements.
“Midnight thoughts… I still get kilig when you guys engage with my ‘Ako bahala. Babawi tayo sa Miss Universe’ tweet from 2015,” the former beauty queen said on Friday.
“Thank you for believing in me,” Pia added with a blue heart emoji.
Midnight thoughts…I still get kilig when you guys engage with my "Ako bahala. Babawi tayo sa Miss Universe" tweet from 2015. Thank you for believing in me. 💙
— Pia Wurtzbach | yourhighness.eth (@PiaWurtzbach) January 26, 2023
Her post has earned over 17,000 likes and more than 580 retweets so far.
It has also gained several comments from Filipinos who were touched by her sentiments.
“These mean comments make @PiaWurtzbach strong and [proved to] them that they’re wrong. We love you, kween P,” a Twitter user wrote with a smiling-face-with-hearts emoji.
The user also shared a video compilation of some negative comments that Pia received after posting the 2015 tweet before.
These mean comments make @PiaWurtzbach strong and prove them that they're wrong. We love you kween P 🥰💙💙 pic.twitter.com/EDfy0eN914
— Kia Mae Binal (@miakaee) January 26, 2023
“That line has always been part of my huddle ‘pag gusto ko i-inspire iyong mga direct report ko about faith and claiming things with their vision,” another online user commented to Pia.
“And thank you for believing in yourself and in the Filipino people, Queen,” wrote a different Filipino.
“When I saw you sa Vegas for the final dress rehearsal… ramdam ko na the crown is yours… sobrang lakas ng TIWALA ko sa’yo that day!!” exclaimed another Twitter user.
Pia tweeted the iconic line, “Kalma lang, guys. Ako bahala. Babawi tayo sa Miss Universe!!” on May 3, 2015, when American boxer Floyd Mayweather had beaten Manny Pacquiao in their lucrative match dubbed the “Fight of the Century.”
Kalma lang guys. Ako bahala. Babawi tayo sa Miss Universe!!
— Pia Wurtzbach | yourhighness.eth (@PiaWurtzbach) May 3, 2015
The former beauty queen said that at that time, she was “at the edge” of her seat and “in tears” when the Filipino lost the historic fight.
“I was just so sad, disheartened and disappointed. It’s Filipino pride! I want our Manny Pacquiao, our Pacman, to win so bad! I’m a big fan of his, I’m a big fan,” Pia said to reporters in 2016.
“So when he didn’t make it, I took my phone out, emotionally tweeting — never doing it again, think before you tweet! — and I said, ‘Kalma lang guys, babawi tayo sa Miss Universe,'” she added.
Despite being emotional, Pia said she was not joking at that time.
She eventually fulfilled her promise seven months after, making Filipinos proud when she won the country its third Miss Universe crown after 42 years.
Pia also shared of mentioning her tweet when she met Manny for the first time in April 2016.
“Sabi ko sa kanya, ‘Congratulations on your victory, we’re very proud of you. Hindi ko alam kung alam mo ito, pero nag-tweet ako noon na sabi ko, ‘Babawi ako sa Miss Universe’ para sa iyo, kasi sobrang fan talaga ako. I’m a big fan of Manny Pacquiao as a boxer,” she said.
Pia is also the first Filipina to be proclaimed a winner in a controversial manner at Miss Universe.
Her crowning moment involved an awkward moment with Colombia’s Ariadna Gutierrez, who was mistakenly named Miss Universe by host Steve Harvey at first.
