Abra native Myrna Esguerra bested 39 other hopefuls for the crown and emerged victorious at the 60th Binibing Pilipinas
Exactly six decades after the first Myrna who coveted the Binibining Pilipinas crown, a new namesake has won the title—Myrna Esguerra. Esguerra assumes her place as the new Binibining Pilipinas International at the 60th year of the country’s longest-running pageant. The previous titleholder, Angelica Lopez, crowned her successor last Sunday night at the Araneta Coliseum. Marking the diamond edition of Binibining Pilipinas, several titleholders in the past witnessed the crowning of the Abra representative, including Gloria Diaz, Margie Moran, Pia Wurtzbach and Catriona Gray.
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As the new queen sits on her much-deserved throne, here are some facts about the 22-year-old.
The First Time is the Charm
“Who would’ve thought that a small town girl like me would actually be capable of being one of the Top 40 official candidates of this year’s Bb. Pilipinas?” the queen wrote at the announcement of the official candidates last April. A fresh face in the fabled Binibini sisterhood, her eloquence and grace made her a strong contender for the title.
In 2023, she said, “Abra, thank you for choosing me to be your queen.” This year, she did not just crown the next Miss Abra, but hosted the pageant as well. As the provincial winner, she set her sights on the crown with eagle-eye focus and clinched the title at her first try. Her reigns continues from provincial to national as the Binibining Pilipinas International 2024, and is set to represent the country at Miss International 2025 pageant in Japan.
The All-Around Victory
Her versatility and cut-throat precision on the runway allowed her to take home several sashes: Best in Swimsuit, Best in Evening Gown, Binibining Urban Smiles, and Binibining Philippine Airlines. She is also among the Top 5 Best in National Costume, which featured the majestic Abra textiles.
Myrna has reigned the competition with a passionate pasarela that made an impression. Her queenly bearing and display of confidence brought her to the top. During her performance at the Reinvent: A Sustainable Fashion Show wearing Allan Laserna, and at the Press Presentation last month in a one-piece swimsuit, it is clear she possesses the strength and grace of a Binibining Pilipinas title.
The Queen of All Trades
Myrna’s charisma and social intelligence are skills that she developed through her hosting and modeling gigs—both of which are training grounds for the crown.
Leader With a Purpose
The Abra native is leading the way to social responsibility through pageantry as an eco-warrior. She actively participates in environmental preservation and sustainability, propagating the cause of protecting the planet with her platform.
She invites others to discover and enjoy the beauty of her hometown, where she takes great pride in her Abrenian heritage. In one of her photoshoots, she showcased Mount Bullagao, referred to as the “Sleeping Beauty of Abra”, as a historically significant and must-visit destination.
From One Queen Myrna to Another
History—the good kind—indeed repeats itself. 60 years ago, Myrna Panlilio, won the first ever Binibining Pilipinas title to represent the country at the international Miss Universe stage. Last night, another Binibini was crowned of the same name. Fate as it may seem as during the Top 15’s question and answer portion, she was asked, “If a time machine brings you back to 1964, 60 years ago when Binibining Pilipinas began, what message would you tell the Filipino women of that time about the women of 2024?”
“I will tell the women of the past that we have achieved our goal, which is to empower women, standing here at the age of 17, I started to finance for my own studies and help my family financially,” Abra’s beauty queen said.
“I was able to do this by all those women who paved the way to empowered us, to always reach for our goals no matter what it is because in life, we can always achieve our dreams as long as we believe that we can and thanks to them all,” she added.
Photos and Featured Image: MYRNA ESGUERRA (Via Instagram and Facebook), BINIBINING PILIPINAS (Via Website)
