New girls, new games

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WHILE the candidates for Binibining Pilipinas 2026 were announced late last month (all 36 of them), the pageant initially held out in releasing each of their territorial designations. It was because the event where the candidates were “sashed” with the communities they represented was usually held privately at the Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI) offices beforehand. This year, for the first time, they held it publicly, in the pageant’s first sashing ceremony at the Novotel Manila Araneta City.

On April 6, all the candidates went up on stage and were given their sashes. The ceremony also proved to be a way for pageant-watchers to see how the candidates speak and walk (as they had to introduce themselves with their territorial designation during the event). We already heard some old hands at pageants set their bets, as well as compared some of the women to previous contestants and showbiz figures.

“Historically, this event has been something Bb. Pilipinas has kept to the family and kept a little private,” said BPCI executive committee member Pia Roxas Ojeda-Banal in a speech. “We recognize that our 62nd batch of Binibinis is something that we should really celebrate. Not just who they are, but where they come from: the provinces, the cities, and communities that they represent.

“It takes a village to go on this journey. The sashing ceremony is really Day 1 for our girls,” she said.

“There’s really so much to celebrate about these girls and the places they represent. Sure, we like keeping it in an intimate setup, but it’s also nice to be able to share that with everyone,” said Ms. Ojeda Roxas-Banal in an interview. “We’re open to new ideas. We’re the oldest pageant in the Philippines and so we want to bring some fresh air into it.” Asked about new things they’re planning for the pageant, she said, “It’s a secret. Surprise na lang.”

One also looks to the past while looking to the future: one of the women placing the sashes on the new contestants was Vida Doria, fashion designer, visual artist, and Bb. Pilipinas – Universe 1971. In an interview with BusinessWorld, she compared the women of today versus the women of her pageant heyday. “We were much younger than the girls now,” she said. “There are very few (now) who are less than 20 years old,” she said, noting that in her time, the contestant usually had an age range of 17 to 21 (and 21-year-olds were pushing their luck).

Not much emphasis was given back then to their advocacies and causes: “They just asked us what we wanted to be, because most of us were still in college,” recalled Ms. Doria. “We were only thinking of finishing college.

“Most of them are career-(oriented),” she said about the new batch. “They’ve already graduated — if not doctors, lawyers. They’re more mature, compared to during our time.”

The complete list of the candidates and their official territorial designations follows:

Britney Angel Rubino – Caluya, Antique

Ma. Kathrina Pauline Cudia – Jaen, Nueva Ecija

Nathalie Magat – Bais, Negros Oriental

Elli Rose L. Elola – Negros Occidental

Jarina K. Sandhu – Cauayan, Isabela

Joahnna Lee L. Ucol – Ilocos Norte

Julie Mae P. Villanueva – Ilocos Sur

Iris L. Oresca – Bicol Region

Nicole Sobria – Makati

Christine Jorelle F. Usaraga – Cebu

Alisa Keith D. Irugin – Cavite City

Zillani Eve P. Rojas – Zamboanga

Juliane Raine Antonio – Dumaguete

Kristeen Mia SJ. Lucero – Bulacan Province

Tracy Mae C. Sunio – Bacolod City

Shara Maxine M. Barber – Palawan

Ivy R. Padilla – Misamis Oriental

Angelica Arwin C. Evora – Oriental Mindoro

Anjali C. Pradeep Kumar – La Union

Stacey C. de Ocampo – Pangasinan

Samantha Marie B. Zabarte – Dasmarinas, Cavite

Sasha-Juli Belle P. Lacuna – Tarlac

Kaye Pastelero – Cavite Province

Anne Klein E. Castro – Pampanga

Camille Bernadette T. Martin – Malolos, Bulacan

Mary Adeline C. Ramirez – Malabon

Ain Niqyla S. Abad – San Jose, Occidental Mindoro

Marinella J. Catangay – Quezon City

Gwyneth Jemimah B. Chan – Cagayan de Oro

Pauline Thea Ann E. Ibuyan – Aklan

Gwendoline Meliz F. Soriano – Baguio

Arah Jasmin B. Reguyal – Occidental Mindoro

Georgette Nicole R. Coronacion – Carmona, Cavite

Patricia Lynn Beerda – Iloilo

Trisha Irish Marie N. Rosales – Gen. Trias, Cavite

Mylene B. Manschus – Tanza, Cavite

— Joseph L. Garcia