Get to know the winners of the Binibining Pilipinas 2023
Curious to know about the queens who emerged victorious at the recently-concluded Binibining Pilipinas 2023 pageant?
Palawan's Angelica Lopez and Bataan's Anna Valencia Lakrini took home the much coveted titles for Binibining Pilipinas International and Binibining Pilipinas Globe when they bested 38 other candidates during the pageant's grand coronation night held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on May 28.
They will now take over the reins of Nicole Borromeo and Chelsea Fernandez, who were the previous representatives to the Miss International 2022 and Miss Globe 2022 pageants respectively.
To get to know them better, continue reading below:
Binibining Pilipinas International Angelica Lopez
Lopez is not new to the world of pageantry as she previously competed at the 2022 edition of Miss Universe Philippines and represented the country on the Miss Asia Global 2022 pageant in Malaysia last year.
Since long ago, she has always given utmost importance to helping less fortunate children, with her main advocacy being to inspire these young minds to be resilient and limitless amidst life's many challenges.
In an interview with PEP, the 22-year-old model shared that she has led several feeding programs and gift-giving activities in her home province during the last few years. This advocacy of hers stemmed from how she herself also grew up in poverty and hunger, with her parents working themselves to the bone just to provide for her and her sister.
This then fueled her to join pageants in order to earn money and assist her family.
"It's really close to my heart because I have experienced hunger before and even poverty. Yeah, I myself have experienced that.
"I have chosen that advocacy because I want to help the people who have experienced the same thing. I just really hope that I can utilize the platform of Miss Universe Philippines to further help those children, even those outside my province of Palawan," Lopez told the entertainment outlet.
During the question and answer portion of this year's Binibining Pilipinas, Lopez shared that her mother is one of the people who inspired her the most into becoming who she is today—a woman who "has the strength, courage, and tenacity to decide for herself what she wants, really works hard to achieve this, to also have the courage to face any obstacles of life, and tenacity to hold on to her wisdom of choice."
A second-year Psychology student from the Palawan State University, she takes high interest in learning about human behavior, music, arts, reading inspirational books, exploring the philosophy of life, and watching documentary series and beauty pageants.
Binibining Pilipinas Globe Anna Valencia Lakrini
Introduced as a model and a German language teacher who has an interest in nutrition, animals, and nature, Lakrini stays true to her love for the environment.
During the National Costume competition, she decided to make the magnificent "alitaptap" or firefly the inspiration for her ensemble, believing it to be a "representation of hope and courage in the face of adversity." And just like the firefly, she won't let life's daunting obstacles drain the color out of her. She is determined to radiate her own light and use his to spread hope and positivity wherever she goes.
Similar to Lopez, Lakrini is not new to the beauty pageant scenery as it is her second time joining.
One of her main advocacies that is dear to her heart nutrition, as she emphasized during the question and answer portion of Binibining Pilipinas 2023, "As a nutritional scientist, as an advocate for proper nutrition, I know that in advocating with this platform from Binibining Pilipinas, we can inspire so many people and a politician can inspire our whole community and so can we."
On the side, she enjoys riding horses, running, doing sports, exercising at the gym, hiking, diving, and playing the piano.