A new set of queens were crowned at the Binibining Pilipinas 2026 coronaton night
Gwendoline Meliz Soriano of Baguio and Sasha-Juli Belle Lacuna of Tarlac were crowned the new titleholders during the 62nd Binibining Pilipinas grand coronation night.
The national beauty pageant this 2026 took place at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on Saturday, July 18.
Soriano withdrew from competing due to personal reasons in 2022, In 2025, she placed in the Top 12 while representing Baguio at Miss Universe Philippines.
Lacuna won the Bb. Kanlahi pageant, securing her spot in the 2025 Miss Universe Philippines competition, where she achieved a Top 24 finish.
Both of the newly crowned national titleholders received a substantial prize package, which featured a ₱1-million cash prize for each winner, based on the article in Inquirer.
Rounding out the winners’ circle, Dumaguete City’s Julianne Raine Antonio took first runner-up, while Bacolod City’s Tracy Mae Sunio secured second runner-up, with both taking home ₱400,000 each.
For the final question-and-answer portion, the four finalists had to answer this one question: “What future do you envision for yourself, and how will a Binibining Pilipinas title help you get to that destination?”
Here’s the winning answer of Binibining Pilipinas 2026 Gwendoline Soriano:
“I envision to be an aspirational leader, and with the Binibini crown, hopefully, I get to inspire other people to believe in the beauty of their dreams, and to be faithful. I’m here now not because of my own strength, not because of my own beauty and skills, but only by the grace of God. And I am here to share that hope, that message, that hopefully, even after this and beyond the crown, I will be remembered as someone who has a big faith and a big heart.”
The udging panel this year included Miss Universe 1969 Gloria Diaz, professional cager Scottie Thompson, Sen. Risa Hontiveros, and two reigning international pageant titleholders, 2025 Miss International Catalina Duque from Colombia and 2025 The Miss Globe Cheraim Chayathanus Saradatta from Thailand.