‘Palaging may Ghana!’ The story behind the viral introduction of this Miss Earth candidate

ABS-CBN News

<p>“Ang batang malakas kumain ay laging may Ghana!” — so went the unexpected, hilariously Pinoy introduction of the Miss Earth delegate from the African country which then went viral over the weekend.</p><div><script src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;version=v2.5" async="" type="text/javascript"></script></div><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/arencegabriel/videos/2460412974042793/" data-width="auto"> </div><p>The short clip, which came from a “TV Patrol” report aired last week, has already been shared over 20,000 times on Facebook, with nearly 600,000 views.</p><p>“Sino nagturo nito kay Miss Ghana?” wrote uploader Arence Gabriel in his amused caption.</p><p>The candidate, Abena Appiah, was speaking with ABS-CBN News’ Mario Dumaual during the October 2 media presentation of the Miss Earth 2019 hopefuls, ahead of pageant’s coronation night on October 26 at Okada Manila.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" 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translateX(3px) translateY(1px);width:12.5px;flex-grow:0;margin-right:14px;margin-left:2px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(9px) translateY(-18px)"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:8px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:20px;width:20px"> </div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:2px solid transparent;border-left:6px solid #f4f4f4;border-bottom:2px solid transparent;transform:translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:auto"><div style="width:0px;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(16px)"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;flex-grow:0;height:12px;width:16px;transform:translateY(-4px)"> </div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(-4px) translateX(8px)"> </div></div></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center;margin-bottom:24px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:224px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:144px"> </div></div><p style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B2tIi5rnkjx/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by Abena Akuaba (@abenaakuaba)</a> on <time dateTime="2019-09-22T07:35:59+00:00" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px">Sep 22, 2019 at 12:35am PDT</time></p></div></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>Appiah, it turned out, is a close friend of Filipino beauty queen MJ Lastimosa. The two were batchmates in Miss Universe 2014 pageant, and have since remained in contact.</p><p>“I do miss MJ! I speak to her every day,” Appiah said, when asked whether she has recently seen Lastimosa. “We were supposed to be in Mexico [for a vacation], but I couldn’t [make it]. So they were like, ‘Go, sister, go! We are rooting for you!’”</p><p>Appiah credited Lastimosa for her knowledge about the Philippines. In fact, she had a ready answer when asked if she can speak any Filipino words.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CZs-lOcqdh8?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>“I’m learning, she’s teaching me [some words]. She taught me… ‘Gana’ means ‘appetite,’ right? So I learned how to say, ‘Ang batang malakas kumain ay laging may Ghana!’” she said, approximating the energetic tone of pageant introductions.</p><p>Appiah is one of 85 environment advocates vying to be crowned Miss Earth 2019 in the 19th edition of the pageant. The winner will succeed Nguyễn Phương Khánh of Vietnam, the reigning Miss Earth.</p>

‘Palaging may Ghana!’ The story behind the viral introduction of this Miss Earth candidate | ABS-CBN

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‘Palaging may Ghana!’ The story behind the viral introduction of this Miss Earth candidate

‘Palaging may Ghana!’ The story behind the viral introduction of this Miss Earth candidate

ABS-CBN News

Published Oct 07, 2019 05:35 PM PHT

|

Updated Oct 07, 2019 05:49 PM PHT

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Miss Earth

Abena Appiah

MJ Lastimosa

Ghana

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