As the Binibining Pilipinas sisterhood celebrates its two new queens on Saturday night, a lot of behind-the-scene moments and even on-cam sequences took place at the staging of the grand coronation night of the longest-running national pageant.
Gwendoline Soriano of Baguio City and Sasha-Juli Belle Lacuna of Tarlac were hailed as the big winners of the four-hour-long grand finals show that served as the culmination of the 62nd edition of Binibining Pilipinas, held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Here are the key highlights of the event, and some backstory behind it:
‘Tala’ got the audience to their feet
Sarah Geronimo’s viral dance track ‘Tala’ made for a serious case of LSS (last song syndrome) for candidates and viewers. The catchy dance hit was rearranged for the opening production number at the program while all 35 Binibining Pilipinas candidates gyrated in their short pink outfits with panels of indigenous fabric, and matching pink ‘salakot’ (native sun hat).
The dynamic stage with massive LED panels flashed patterns inspired by local weaves to render a cohesive Filipino theme for the rousing opening number that got the audience to their feet, bringing back the time when ‘Tala’ enjoyed a viral dance trend.
The song played again, capping the evening with a rain of confetti, after the coronation of the new queens Soriano and Lacuna.
Miriam Quiambao back to hosting
Spectators and those who watched online got another treat with the return of Miriam Quiambao on the Bb. Pilipinas stage as one of the hosts, alongside her pageant sisters and ‘regular’ emcees Nicole Cordoves, MJ Lastimosa, and Catriona Gray.
The 1999 Miss Universe first runner-up, and one of the most-loved beauty queens of the Philippines, seemed to have never taken a pageant hiatus and enjoyed a vibrant chemistry with her fellow hosts, a trio that has shared the same stage in many of the previous editions.
Diverse group of judges
Netizens also cited the exemplary set of judges, composed of a diverse set of individuals who are accomplished in their respective fields.
The panel includes pro cager Scottie Thompson, award-winning actress Janine Gutierrez, and Bb. Pilipinas queens-1969 Miss Universe Gloria Diaz and 2005 Miss International Precious Lara Quigaman.
Two reigning international pageant titleholders joined them, 2025 The Miss Globe Cheraim Chayathanus Saradatta from Thailand and 2025 Miss International Catalina Duque from Colombia, who also indulged fans with their ‘pasarela’ (pageant walk) onstage, and even shared stories in a quick interview.
Completing the judging panel are Filipino-Australian chef Oliver ‘Oli’ Buenviaje, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel ‘Babes’ Romualdez, Mrs Erika Lipton, wife of US Ambassador to the Philippines, and fashion designer Paul Cabral.
Risa Hontiveros receives biggest applause
Speaking of Hontiveros, the opposition senator received the biggest applause when her name was first called and every time thereafter whenever she was introduced to state her questions to Binibining Pilipinas candidates. Such were the cheers that Quiambao quipped, ‘andaming fans ni senator! (the senator has a lot of fans).’
On her social media platforms, Hontiveros posted a video showing snippets of her appearance as one of the judges for Binibining Pilipinas 2026. In the video, Lipton, who was seated beside her, appeared amazed and seemingly mouthed ‘wow’ when the senator received applause from the Smart Araneta crowd, while fellow judge Diaz danced beside her as they were standing up waiting for the ceremonies to start.
‘Minsan Senator-Judge, minsan Bb. Pilipinas Judge hehe,’ Hontiveros captioned her post, also referring to her position as senator-judge in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
No flubs
With such an outstanding set of judges came thought-provoking questions in a variety of subjects that challenged the 12 semifinalists. But the ladies did not flinch, and displayed grace under time pressure with great answers. There were no potentially-viral flubs this time.
And to the delight of many, another round of questioning tested the delegates anew. Gray herself said she manifested it. ‘The pageant gods listened,’ she said.
For the first time ever in the national pageant’s 62-year history, the field was narrowed down further to the final four, for the common question round. And the finalists did not disappoint.
Cordoves, who conducted a learning session with the delegates earlier, declared on stage that the candidates’ performance has made her proud to be their question-and-answer mentor.
Vintage theme song
And for the final look with the Top 4, the pageant brought back the vintage arrangement of the iconic Bb. Pilipinas theme song to add drama to the climactic moment. The queens in attendance sang along while the spectators savored the moment.
Another delight to the audience and those watching remotely was the ‘Sisters of the Crown’ filler programs, which first served as a prelude to the main show, then continued in between ‘breaks.’
No commercial break
Instead of watching commercials, the public got treated to pocket shows wherein 2013 Miss International Bea Rose Santiago and 2024 Bb. Pilipinas Globe Jasmin Bungay invited the pageant’s alumnae queens for a quick chat.
The former queens who used to just stay in their seats while watching the show suddenly enjoyed more ‘airtime,’ something avid pageant fans have always appreciated.
Fans flooded social media posts with approving comments about how the 62nd Bb. Pilipinas Grand Coronation Night carried on the legacy that the national pageant has established.
The 62nd Bb. Pilipinas Grand Coronation Night was mounted by Aika Events and Productions, that has been staging the national pageant’s final ceremonies since 2023.