Bb. Pilipinas 2026 queens open up on pageant journey, love life, online bashing

MANILA, Philippines, November 7 ------ The Binibining Pilipinas 2026 queens have credited their families and faith in God as the greatest influences throughout their respective pageant journeys.

Beyond beauty and grace, Bb. Pilipinas International 2026 Gwendoline Meliz Soriano, Bb. Pilipinas Globe 2026 Sasha-Juli Belle Lacuna, first runner-up Julianne Raine Antonio and second runner-up Tracy Mae Sunio opened up about their personal experiences and stories in an exclusive interview with The STAR during their recent visit to the publication’s head office.

“I would say my mom and God (inspirations),” began Julianne. “I’ve prayed a lot. This has not been an easy journey for any of us. And I think my mom has been there for me and she’s given me advice. And then with God, I’ve prayed so much and He’s kept me calm through it all. I’ve learned to just let go of all my worries. Because I just lift it up to Him and just trust in His plan.”

For Gwendoline, her biggest influence and inspiration is her faith in God as well. “With all the things going on with the pageant, even external forces, it’s really important that I am secure in my identity and in God. And that I know my purpose while I’m here,” she reflected. Throughout the competition, she kept her sights focused on God and constantly reminded herself of her purpose.

Gwendoline initially joined Bb. Pilipinas in 2022 but had to withdraw from the pageant due to personal reasons. Recalling that time, she shared, “I was working that time as a commercial model and there were conflicts with the contract. And so, I had to withdraw. A lot of things happened to me. My dad passed away. Just a month or two months after that, my business closed. I was betrayed by a friend.”

Gwendoline described it as a “year of testing and proving.” “And I realized after that that God was just really molding me and preparing me for the perfect time and the perfect moment for me to pursue my dream,” she added.

Despite the challenges she faced, Gwendoline eventually took the risk of joining Bb. Pilipinas once again this year, a decision that led her to the crown. “This is my last chance and opportunity I’d say because I’m 27. And with the competition that of course there’s an age limit for the international crown that I’m aiming for… I really tried to be courageous, to pursue this dream now and I’m really blessed and grateful to God that this is also the perfect time for me that I’m on the crown finally.”

Coming from a family-oriented background, Sasha expressed her gratitude to her family and manager for their unwavering support. “And of course, my faith in God keeps me sane. Gosh, there were so many days where I felt like, ‘Do I deserve to be here? What am I even doing? Should I keep going?’ It’s just my faith in God knowing that He has something big planned for me, my faith in the unknown of where He’s leading me and asking for wisdom and guidance in His plan that have kept me going,” she added.

Sasha is currently in Thailand, vying for The Miss Globe title, with the coronation night scheduled for Nov. 6.

Tracy, for her part, confessed that she is a daddy girl and that her late father was the person she looked up to. “I really admire him because he is very kind to everyone around him… He really teaches me how to respect and be kind to everyone. He also instilled the values and principles in me that I carry until now and that I also want to share with others. And because of him, I am very focused on my spiritual journey. God was also the one who really helped me stay calm in times of moments of chaos.” 

Source: philstar.com