After nearly two years of hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a new set of queens has been crowned for Binibining Pilipinas pageant at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday.
After postponing the pageant last year due to heightened restrictions amidst the pandemic, a new set of queens has been crowned for Binibining Pilipinas pageant at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday (July 11).
The pageant was finally held more than two years since it last staged a competition in June 2019, with 34 of the original 40 delegates remaining to fight for four crowns.
Hannah Arnold from Masbate was crowned Bb. Pilipinas International, Samantha Panlilio from Cavite was named Bb. Pilipinas Grand International, Maureen Montagne from Batangas won the Bb. Pilipinas Globe title, while the Bb. Pilipinas Intercontinental crown went to Cinderella Obeñita from Cagayan de Oro City.
Bb. Pilipinas International Filipino-Australian model Hannah Arnold, a forensic scientist from Masbate, won the title after competing for the second time in the same pageant in 2019, where she placed in the top 15 semis.
She will represent the Philippines at the Miss International 2021 beauty pageant in Japan in November.
The Bb. Pilipinas Grand International title went to Samantha Panlilio from Cavite whose paternal aunt Maria Myrna Sese Panlilio was the first ever Binibining Pilipinas title holder in 1964.
Panlilo will succeed Samantha Bernardo after her impressive second-place finish in the 2020 Miss Grand International pageant held in Thailand earlier this year.
Bb. Pilipinas Globe Maureen Montagne hails from Chandler, Arizona, United States and was a front runner for this year’s pageant with her impressive resume.
She was crowned Miss Arizona USA 2015 and placed in the top 15 for Miss USA 2015, America’s Miss World 2017 first runner-up, Miss Eco Philippines 2018 (Miss World Philippines 2018 first runner-up), and Miss Eco International 2019 first runner-up.
Bb. Pilipinas Intercontinental Cinderella Obeñita surprised the crowd with her eloquence in the Q&A with a question from guest panelist Michael Cinco.
“Women always have a choice whether to prioritize luxury items while we are facing a pandemic and also, we have a choice to embrace a concept of a new beautiful which is responsive to the needs of time, adaptive to the change of times.” she said when asked about the importance of luxury items in a time of economic downfall.
Obenita will then attempt to bring home the Philippines’ second Miss Intercontinental crown in Egypt in October.
Gabrielle Basiano from Borongan, Eastern Samar was first runner-up, while Meiji Cruz from Valenzuela was second runner-up in this year’s Bb. Pilipinas.
This year’s pageant looked a lot different from the previous years as this year’s coronation night was not open to the public and only a select few audience witnessed the selection of winners such as pageant officials, guests, jurors, staff members, and members of the media. (NP)
Tags: #beautypageants, #BinibiningPilipinas