How second chances led Gwendoline Soriano to the BBP International title

Even when circumstances beyond her control forced Baguio's Gwendoline Soriano to withdraw from Binibining Pilipinas in 2022, she never let go of that dream. Four years later, it's now her reality. Elated is the only way to describe the exact moment Baguio City’s Gwendoline Soriano was called on the 2026 Binibining Pilipinas stage. “I was smiling the whole time,” Soriano said in a Rappler Talk interview with the rest of the top four beauty queens. “I saw the videos, and it’s nice to share that moment with the people I love. My family and friends are there. The people who supported me were all there. And I get to share the stage with my sisters.” She was the first finalist to be named, and will go on to represent the Philippines in Miss International next year. Perhaps unbeknownst to many, however, this win was a long time coming for Soriano. Second chances Soriano was supposed to compete in the 2022 edition of Binibining Pilipinas, but fate had other plans for her. Still, she knew that it was a dream worth chasing. Binibining Pilipinas was a pageant she had grown up watching, and it’s where many of the inspiring women she looked up to were molded. “When I grew up, I realized this is also the path that is for me, and I see it as a calling. And when I had the opportunity to join in 2022, I really tried, but that wasn’t the time for me. I had to go through a lot that time. I had to withdraw because of some conflicts with my work,” she shared. The universe has a strange way of making you wait for things that aren’t meant for you yet. Disappointment had naturally seeped in when circumstances beyond her control held her back from pursuing this long-time dream. But rather than taking it as a sign to give up completely, she used it to come back even stronger. In 2025, she entered her first-ever national pageant: Miss Universe Philippines. She placed in the top 12, but Soriano knew she had unfinished business. And so, four whole years after what was supposed to have been her first Binibining Pilipinas stint, she decided to try one more time. “After four years of waiting and molding and transformation, I believe that this year was really the time for me. Because when the opportunity [arose], I just knew deep in my heart that I had to try again,” Soriano beamed. The Soriano that walked down the 2026 Binibining Pilipinas stage was not the same one the Philippines witnessed last year. Now 27, the Baguio native is more in tune with who she really is — and this is what she used to win the crown. “It was my priority to take care of my mind, my body, my soul. Spiritually, most especially, I really have to focus on what really matters,” she shared. “[Before], there were a lot of voices that I had to listen to. And I made sure that I learned from it, and that if I were to try again, I have to know who I really am and what I want. And I have to be firm with my identity, that no matter how loud the noises are, I won’t be listening. Because I am rooted in my identity in Christ.” A deeply personal advocacy That Soriano is now the titleholder of Miss International Philippines 2026 is not even the most interesting thing about her. As a beauty queen, one of your most defining traits is the advocacy that you will choose to spotlight throughout your reign. It’s not something that comes out of nowhere, and Soriano has a personal connection to the cause she champions: Filipino culture and the arts. The 27-year-old stunner had grown up performing Philippine folk dances, and had naturally carried that interest over to adulthood — having later joined her university’s dance group to hone in on that. Even when she was just a candidate for Miss Baguio, it had only felt natural for her to focus on an advocacy that ties in with Baguio’s billing as a cultural city. As a dancer herself, it felt like the right choice. Since then, she hasn’t looked back. “It started when I was a candidate for Miss Baguio. We were trying to develop an advocacy that is really close also to our advocacies in Baguio, and we are a cultural city. And that’s something that I also want to integrate to the whole Philippines — that we can shine and express ourselves through creative expression, which is performing arts,” she told Rappler. Soriano’s passion for this advocacy is also rooted in her lamentation that the youth nowadays have seemed to lose touch with Filipino culture. Even common folk dances like tinikling might get you confused looks in return. “Other kids don’t know about tinikling anymore. We have a lot of beautiful dances that I really want people to see, especially those abroad. Just so they’d see the beauty of our country, na hindi lang tayo basta-basta resilient, masipag (that we aren’t just resilient and hardworking). We’re not just hardworking and kind people. We have so much to offer. And one part of that is our culture,” Soriano stressed. But even more than that, Soriano aims to use her Binibining Pilipinas platform to show that pageantry isn’t just about winning titles. It serves a bigger purpose: for beauty queens like Soriano to work on and speak about the issues that really matter. “We’ve been doing media rounds for a week already and we’re given the chance to talk. To talk about things that matter to us and our opinions on what we should do, on our advocacies, on charities, on even social matters and social news. So, this is why we’re here,” Soriano shared. “And a lot of people are still celebrating pageantry, especially Binibining Pilipinas. When we were there on the coronation night, that’s what I was thinking about the whole night. Like, ‘Wow, we have a lot of audiences. A lot of people are celebrating this platform.’ And maybe it’s because they know that this is still essential now. This is still a powerful tool for us to speak about our causes and for us to empower the youth and the children and everyone watching us,” she added. As early as now, it’s clear that Soriano isn’t putting this opportunity to waste. She is well aware that being Binibining Pilipinas International is a responsibility more than just being a title she had fought hard to win. And with that, she’ll strive to make the nation proud. – Rappler.com