By RAMPADOR ALINDOG
Baguio City’s Gwendoline Meliz Soriano and Tarlac’s Sasha-Juli Belle Lacuna were crowned the country’s newest beauty queens at the Binibining Pilipinas 2026 coronation night held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Saturday, July 18.
Soriano captured the Binibining Pilipinas International 2026 title, succeeding Katrina Anne Johnson. She will represent the Philippines at the next Miss International pageant.
Lacuna, meanwhile, was named Binibining Pilipinas Globe 2026, taking over the crown from Annabelle McDonnell.
Rounding out the Top 4 were Julianne Raine Antonio of Dumaguete as first runner-up and Tracy Mae Sunio of Bacolod as second runner-up.
The finalists earned their spots after advancing through the Top 12 and two rounds of question-and-answer segments, tackling topics such as personal growth, women’s empowerment, artificial intelligence, and the relevance of pageantry today.
Soriano won over the judges with an answer about trusting God’s plan and viewing failures as stepping stones to success.
Lacuna also drew praise for saying empathy is one human quality that artificial intelligence can never replace, emphasizing that genuine compassion remains essential in public service and community building.
Soriano entered the final round as one of the night’s frontrunners after collecting several special awards, including Best in Swimsuit, Best in Evening Gown, Binibining Philippine Airlines, Binibining Urban Smiles, and Miss SnowCaps Radiance.
This year’s pageant also introduced Binibining Tourism as a new special award, with Pauline Thea Ann Ibuyan of Aklan becoming its first recipient.
Other special awardees were Georgette Nicole Coronacion of Carmona, Cavite (Binibining Friendship), Zilanni Eve Rojas of Zamboanga City (Face of Binibini), Samantha Marie Zabarte of Dasmariñas (Manila Bulletin Readers’ Choice), Jarina Sandhu of Cauayan City, Isabela (Binibining The MedClub), and Anne Klein Castro of Pampanga (Nustar Online Binibini).
Recognized in the Best in National Costume competition were Mylene Manschus of Tanza, Cavite; Ain Niqyla Abad of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro; Samantha Marie Zabarte of Dasmariñas; Iris Oresca of the Bicol Region; and Patricia Lynn Beerda of Iloilo.
