Baguio City's Gwendoline Meliz Soriano and Tarlac's Sasha-Juli Belle Lacuna emerged as the country's newest beauty queens after capturing the top titles at the Binibining Pilipinas 2026 coronation night held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Saturday, July 18.
Soriano was crowned Binibining Pilipinas International 2026, succeeding Katrina Anne Johnson. She will represent the Philippines at the Miss International pageant next year.
Meanwhile, Lacuna was named Binibining Pilipinas Globe 2026, taking over the title from Annabelle McDonnell.
Completing the winners' circle were Julianne Raine Antonio of Dumaguete, who was named first runner-up, and Tracy Mae Sunio of Bacolod, who finished as second runner-up.
The four finalists advanced to the last stage of the competition after surviving the Top 12 and two rounds of question-and-answer segments, where they tackled topics ranging from personal growth and women's empowerment to artificial intelligence and the role of pageantry in today's society.
Soriano impressed the judges with a heartfelt answer about trusting God's plan and embracing failures as stepping stones to success.
Soriano entered the final round as one of the night's strongest contenders after sweeping several special awards. She won Best in Swimsuit, Best in Evening Gown, Binibining Philippine Airlines, Binibining Urban Smiles, and Miss SnowCaps Radiance, making her one of the most decorated candidates of the competition.
The pageant also introduced Binibining Tourism as a new special award, with Pauline Thea Ann Ibuyan of Aklan becoming its inaugural recipient.
Other special awardees included Georgette Nicole Coronacion of Carmona, Cavite as Binibining Friendship, Zilanni Eve Rojas of Zamboanga City as Face of Binibini, Samantha Marie Zabarte of Dasmariñas as Manila Bulletin Readers' Choice, Jarina Sandhu of Cauayan City, Isabela as Binibining The MedClub, and Anne Klein Castro of Pampanga as Nustar Online Binibini.
Five candidates were likewise recognized in the Best in National Costume competition: Mylene Manschus of Tanza, Cavite; Ain Niqyla Abad of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro; Samantha Marie Zabarte of Dasmariñas; Iris Oresca of the Bicol Region; and Patricia Lynn Beerda of Iloilo.
It’s not even safe for Filipinos to travel through all parts of the Philippines hahah!
But that’s usually the case in ANY place and not just because the Philippines is some scary crime-ridden country. We’re not even at war, so that’s an advantage.
Ok let’s look at the basics. Tourists find the Philippines a great travel destination because it’s quite inexpensive, there’s a lot of beautiful tourist spots, and a lot of people speak English (not to mention Filipinos are just nice to foreigners).
But like any country (especially developing countries), there’s still crime and other risks. In urban areas, you have pickpockets and other petty thieves. You can also fall for scams if you’re not careful. But again, that can also happen in places like London or Paris.
In rural areas, you’re also at risk of getting lost since most tourist spots are far from each other. If you’re the type to believe in folklore, you can also be at risk of malevolent spirits or “engkanto” (fairies) in jungles and forests. That kind of thing.
And of course there’s the occasional civil unrest in some areas, like Mindanao.
But it’s generally safe to visit the Philippines. The U.S. Department of State puts it under a Level 2 Travel Advisory
which is the same as France, Spain, and UK.So if you’re in the city, avoid informal settler areas. If you’re in the province, stick to popular tourist spots where there are guards and police nearby. If you’re adventurous, just make sure you have a reliable local to serve as your tour guide.
Footnotes
PHILIPPINE Eagle Sawaga-Dalwangan inside the isolation cage at the Philippine Eagle Center in Malagos, Davao City. (Keith Bacongco)
By Keith Bacongco
Published Jul 17, 2026 09:57 pm
DAVAO CITY – Fifteen days since it was captured, critically endangered Philippine Eagle Sawaga-Dalwangan is fast recovering and transferred to an isolation and rehabilitation facility at the Philippine Eagle Center in Barangay Malagos, Davao City, on Thursday evening, July 16.
However, during the pre-transfer check up at Doc Bayani's Animal Wellness Clinic, veterinarian Bayani Vandenbroeck discovered a fresh entry wound from an air gun pellet on the left thigh.
Sawaga-Dalwangan was rescued by an indigenous farmer in the forests of Barangay Dalwangan in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon on July 3.
The indigenous farmer, Marvin Linoy, turned over the eagle to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) which then handed it over to the Philippine Eagle Foundation.
Vandenbroeck recalled that the raptor was really in bad shape when it arrived in his clinic from Bukidnon on July 3.
But after two weeks of intensive monitoring and treatment, the eagle gradually regained its strength and demeanor, he said.
“When the eagle arrived, it was in an extremely critical condition. The team’s immediate priority was to address the wing injuries and remove the maggots while minimizing handling to avoid additional stress and further compromise to the bird’s condition,” recounted Vandenbroeck, veterinary consultant of the PEF.
He disclosed that the eagle was already aggressive when approached inside its temporary holding cage a few days after receiving treatment.
During the X-ray scan, veterinarians discovered air gun pellets lodged on the right wing and left thigh of the eagle.
The pellet on the wing has been removed while the other on the thigh is buried deep in its muscles, requiring major surgery to be removed.
On Thursday afternoon, PEF Director of Operations Dr. Jayson Ibañez said that Sawaga-Dalwangan was cleared from Newcastle Disease and Avian Influenza.
Ibañez said that these laboratory tests were required before the raptor could be transferred to the PEC.
He explained that the air gun pellet’s entry wound was not immediately discovered during initial checkup because the raptor could not be restrained for an extended period.
“The protocol for handling the Philippine Eagle is that it should not be too long as it might stress the bird. That explains why the wound was not immediately located because the bird was also heavily soiled at that time,” the seasoned conservationist pointed out.
Vandenbroeck recalled that feathers around the thigh injury were heavily caked with mud and dirt when the eagle was rescued, making the wound difficult to detect.
“After the bird was carefully washed and blow-dried, and as it regained strength and resumed its natural preening behavior, the wound became much more visible. Its fresh appearance suggests the injury was inflicted only recently before the eagle’s rescue,” he said.
Ibañez said they are awaiting the results of the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sexing test to confirm the gender of the rescued eagle.
With Sawaga-Dalwangan now in an isolation facility, the PEF said that human interaction will be kept to a minimum to reduce stress, support healing, and help maintain the eagle’s natural wild behavior and demeanor as it continues its recovery.
The PEF reiterated their call for a deeper investigation on Sawaga-Dalwangan's rescue.
DENR-10 Regional Wildlife Rescue Center veterinarian Rodner Tuquib said that he noted clinical signs of prolonged suffering on Sawaga-Dalwangan.
Based on his observation on the circulating photos of the eagle prior to turn over to the DENR in Bukidnon, Tuquib particularly noted the bird’s facial expression.
“The look on its face as if asking for help because it was not feeling well and the demeanor of an eagle with chronic wounds and myiasis,” the DENR resident veterinarian wrote on Facebook.
“It breaks my heart to see the photo of the Philippine Eagle in that condition and with reported maggot-infested wounds. The animal must have endured several days of suffering before intervention.”
Big-time oil price hike next week: Diesel up by around ₱10, gasoline up over ₱3 | |
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Based on the four-day trading average of the Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS) and foreign exchange rates, local diesel prices are projected to rise next week by ₱9.50 to ₱10.50 per liter. Gasoline is also expected to increase, with forecasts pointing to an upward adjustment of ₱3.50 to ₱4.50 per liter. Read more |
