Who Is Gwendoline Meliz Soriano? Meet The Newly Crowned Binibining Pilipinas International 2026

The face cards were stunning, the walks were powerful, and the advocacies were inspiring at Binibining Pilipinas 2026. Held on Saturday, July 18, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, the pageant celebrated beauty, confidence, and Filipino pride as Gwendoline Meliz Soriano of Baguio City was officially crowned Binibining Pilipinas International 2026, succeeding Katrina Anne Johnson of Davao City. Sasha-Juli Belle Lacuna was also crowned as Binibining Pilipinas Globe.

Katrina is set to represent the Philippines at the 64th Miss International pageant in Tokyo, Japan, in November. Meanwhile, Gwendoline will compete in the prestigious international pageant next year.

Aside from taking home the coveted crown, Gwendoline also took home a one-million cash prize. She dominated several competition segments, bagging both Best in Swimsuit and Best in Evening Gown.

While Gwendoline still has plenty of time to prepare for the international stage, here's everything you need to know about the country's newest Binibining Pilipinas International.

Gwendoline may proudly represent Baguio City, but her roots trace back to Pangasinan, where both of her parents are originally from.

In 2019, she represented Pangasinan in Miss Millennial 2019, the beauty competition of the noontime show Eat Bulaga!. She earned the opportunity after being crowned Limgas na Pangasinan 2019. A year later, she actively promoted tourism in Bolinao, Pangasinan through her online platform.

In a 2024 post, Gwendoline shared that her family moved to Baguio City when she was just three years old and that she has been raised there ever since. She described the city as "multicultural" and a "creative city," sharing how it eventually became the place she proudly calls home.

The 27-year-old beauty queen graduated from Trinity University of Asia with a degree in Communication. Before finishing her studies there, she also attended Saint Louis University in Baguio City from 2015 to 2018.

She has put her communications background to good use beyond pageantry. In 2020, Gwendoline landed the lead role in the Kwentong Jollibee Valentine Series episode "Space," proving she's just as comfortable in front of the camera as she is on the pageant stage.

But in 2023, she entered her corporate girlie era. On Instagram, she shared that she took on a role as a real estate agent. She even has a separate Facebook account dedicated to her work. At the same time, she's pursuing a second degree in Real Estate, which she recently said she had to temporarily put on hold to focus on her pageant journey fully.

Winning Binibining Pilipinas International may be Gwendoline's biggest pageant achievement so far, but she's no stranger to the competition stage. Back in 2022, she joined Binibining Pilipinas and made it to the official Top 40. However, she eventually had to withdraw due to the pageant's eligibility criteria.

She returned to the pageant scene in 2025 as Miss Universe Philippines Baguio in Miss Universe Philippines, where she finished as one of the Top 12 finalists.

In her Binibining Pilipinas introduction video, Gwendoline calls herself a model, and her social media is basically her modeling and acting porftolio. Over the years, she's appeared in online and print advertisements, television commercials, and music videos.

Most recently, she walked the runway at Hair Asia in May wearing a bridal gown by Roy Padilla Endozo, with hair and makeup by Carlo Bilog. She also gives followers a glimpse into her work through TikTok, where she shares behind-the-scenes moments from her modeling projects, from makeup preparations to the actual shoots.

Long before winning pageant crowns, Gwendoline had already built a strong connection with the performing arts. During her stint in Miss Millennial 2019, she performed a cultural dance alongside the NHS Ligliwa Dance Troupe. She has remained supportive of the group over the years, often cheering on its members in their competitions.

During her time at university, she also became a proud member of the SLU Dance Troupe, the cultural dance organization of Saint Louis University. Years later, she stepped outside her comfort zone by enrolling in a hip-hop dance class, sharing that learning the genre challenged her in the best way possible.

Gwendoline's years of experience as a cultural performer naturally shaped the advocacy she chose to champion during Binibining Pilipinas. "I advocate for the cultivation of cultural identity and creativity through performing arts," she shared in an interview on Binibining Pilipinas' Facebook page.

Growing up as a cultural scholar and performing artist, she said she had the opportunity to learn and appreciate traditional dances from the Cordilleras to Muslim communities. Because of this, she hopes to strengthen policies that promote and preserve these traditions, including the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009.

She also plans to launch Project Yapak, an initiative that aims "not just to teach the youth our cultural dances but also to provide them a platform where they can express, develop, and showcase their talents."

After winning Miss Baguio and earning the chance to represent the city at Miss Universe Philippines 2025, Gwendoline dedicated the milestone to her late father, who passed away on June 9, 2022. In an emotional post, she wrote, "Your not-so-little girl finally had the courage to pursue our dream! You wouldn't believe it—I'm joining Miss Universe Philippines! I hope I'm making you proud up there."

The Miss International beauty pageant is traditionally held in Japan late in the year, meaning Gwendoline will have plenty of time to prepare before flying out for the 65th edition in 2027. She'll be gunning for the country's seventh crown, and the whole Philippines will definitely be cheering her on!