Miss Philippines Earth 2025 Joy Barcoma challenged what she described as a “defeated mindset” among Filipinos.

In a social media post on Tuesday, February 3, the beauty queen pointed out phrases often uttered by Filipinos, emphasizing those that are forced to accept the circumstances around politics and society.

Among those are: “Lahat naman ng pulitiko corrupt,” “‘Di mo naman pwede utusan ang magnanakaw/rapist,” “Wala namang mangyayari kahit mag reklamo ka.”

“Exactly why we have to unlearn our learned hopelessness. These statements don’t protect us, they silence us. These things breed corruption, normalize abuse, excuse incompetence, and only reward those who benefit from a broken system,” she said.

“Do not be afraid to challenge the system. Hindi kailanman natibag ng pananahimik ang bulok na sistema. Lagi’t lagi, pagtindig ang nagsusulong ng pagbabago,” she added. “Dahil ang katahimikan ay hindi kapayapaan. Ito ay pahintulot.”

Apart from her humor, the beauty queen is known for speaking up on societal issues, even attending the anti-corruption protests at the EDSA People Power Monument last year.