Miss Earth Philippines candidate Joy Barcoma is trending after her runner-up finish in the Miss Earth competition. Barcoma made a passionate statement about environmental responsibility and empathy for typhoon victims that went viral following the pageant’s Q&A segment.

Barcoma became a trending topic after some pageant fans commented that she “overextended” her airtime and went “off-script” during her speech. One post questioned her decision to discuss Typhoon Ramil’s aftermath outside the Q&A portion, saying there’s “a proper time and place” for such remarks.

In response, Joy Barcoma delivered a powerful rebuttal on social media, defending her choice to speak about the tragedy.

“What do you mean by proper place and time? It is Miss Earth, Cris. There is no more appropriate venue to talk about the typhoon that took more than a hundred lives, displaced hundreds, and devastated thousands of Filipinos if not today because it just happened,” she wrote.

She emphasized that the Miss Earth stage is precisely meant for environmental advocacy, saying,

“It is an environmental issue, and to celebrate environmentalism in a country where there are people dying because of a natural catastrophe and not acknowledging it is unnerving.”

Barcoma’s strong message, “If not here, then where? If not now, then when?”, which quickly resonated with fans, earning praise for her authenticity and courage to speak up amid criticism.

Despite not making it to the Top 4, Barcoma gracefully accepted the results

“I wasn’t part of the Top 4 simply because I wasn’t the one they’re looking for. Period,” she said.

Her statement has since sparked discussions on social media about using her voice for the people and her advocacies for the environment.