MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines welcomed its new queen at the Miss Universe Philippines 2026 on Saturday, May 2, and it’s none other than Bea Millan-Windorski of La Union.
Bea bested 50 contestants in the country’s local franchise of Miss Universe, and succeeded Quezon Province’s Ahtisa Manalo, who finished third runner-up in the pageant’s global competition.
Even before the coronation night, Bea had been one of the top bets to clinch the crown, with many pageant fans noting the aspiring lawyer’s eloquence, bright personality, and even her resemblance to Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray.
Filipino roots
Born on August 15, 2002 to a family of US immigrants, Bea traces her maternal roots to San Juan, La Union, where her grandparents Alfredo and Marcela Millan lived, before moving to Nueva Vizcaya, and later deciding to immigrate to the United States in search of better opportunities.
In the US, her mother met her American father, who also came from a family of Polish-German immigrants.
Growing up in a predominantly white area of Milwaukee in Wisconsin, Bea initially struggled with identity and belonging, but eventually found a sense of responsibility to discover and introduce her Philippine heritage to the community.
The 23-year-old beauty queen earned a double degree in International Studies and History “with comprehensive honors” at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, focusing on Southeast Asian Studies, where she learned the Filipino language and even completed a thesis on Filipinos in the US Navy.
Bea was also awarded a fellowship with the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines in the US and got an internship at the East-West Center in Washington, DC, which paved a path for her to learn more about US-ASEAN relations, as well as hone her Filipino language literacy.
Beyond her strong academic background, the 5-foot-11 stunner excels in the performing arts, as she was also a high school varsity dance team member and a ballet dancer in the Milwaukee Ballet School.
Bea likewise has a deep love for music as she grew up learning how to play cello, as well as loving jazz, two things that she further honed at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music.
Teen queen
As a teen, Bea discovered pageantry and saw it more than just a competition, but an avenue to share her passion and advocacies.
In an interview with Rappler, Bea shared that she initially participated in various local teen pageants in high school for scholarship money.
Among her first pageants is the Miss Milwaukee Area Outstanding Teen 2020, where she won the title and proceeded to compete in Miss Wisconsin’s Outstanding Teen 2021.
In her senior year in college, she thought that her time with pageantry had come to a close as she would no longer need the prize for her studies. Her mother, however, signed her up for the Miss Earth USA 2024 competition.
Although hesitant at first to push through with the competition, previous winners of the pageants reminded her of how she can utilize the platform to create a bigger impact in her advocacies.
“I remember years ago, watching Karen Ibasco’s crowning and being so inspired by her commitment to the environment, by her intellect, so I decided to give it a go,” Bea recalled.
The beauty queen notes that it was the “right decision” to continue as she bagged the title, giving her the opportunity to represent the US in the 24th Miss Earth held in the Philippines.
In the pageant’s global competition, Bea took home a coveted elemental title, winning the Miss Earth-Water that symbolizes the protection of ocean water resources.
Bea stayed in the Philippines during her Miss Earth-Water reign, promoting her advocacies, building her career as a model, and volunteering for various environmental conservation groups like Project Curma, which seeks to protect sea turtles and ocean wildlife in La Union.
She became involved in many local social issues, and during the Trillion Peso March in November 2025, Bea even joined the thousands of individuals in the mass demonstration against the massive corruption in the country.
The beauty queen used her voice as a representative of environmentalists who condone the various projects and policies that further escalate environmental degradation in the country.
@rappler Miss Earth Water 2024 slams gov’t corruption at Luneta rally WATCH: Miss Earth Water 2024 Bea Millan-Windorski, speaking at the Luneta rally on Sunday, November 30, calls out government officials for allowing deforestation and illegal mining to persist in the country. | Video by Maria Czietherine Paghunasan Follow Rappler’s coverage: rplr.co/Nov30Rallies
♬ original sound – Rappler
Bea eventually decided to settle in the Philippines even after her reign to pursue other plans, including an education in law, just what her mother and grandmother wanted.
But pageantry came calling again as she was offered to join this year’s Miss Universe Philippines competition, which she saw as an opportunity to continue her journey toward identity and growth.
Sense of belonging
On pageant night of Miss Universe Philippines, Bea stood out in the early rounds, and by the question and answer segment, tapped on her journey of discovering her Filipino roots
The finalists were asked: “Many Filipinos are getting frustrated with the country. For you, why is it still worth it to represent the Philippines on the global stage?”
“I often had to point where the Philippines was on a map to my peers, and I always felt a sense of belonging and home,” Bea answered.
“I chose to pack my life into balikbayan boxes and suitcases because I believe in the limitless potential of the Filipino people and the fact that we need to create local opportunities here so that people don’t have to go abroad and be separated from their families in order to survive and thrive. If I were given the title of Miss Universe Philippines, I promise to be a public servant for all.”
In winning the crown, Bea hopes to bring home the fifth Miss Universe title for the Philippines, following Catriona Gray (2018), Pia Wurtzbach (2015), Margarita Moran (1973), and Gloria Diaz (1969).
Bea also aims to usher in a reign that redefines the crown, not just as a symbol of beauty, but as a platform that stands with the people it represents.
Having a family with migration backgrounds, Bea compares her journey back to the Philippines to those of sea turtles found in the coast of San Juan, La Union — they leave for suitable places to develop, but remain guided by their intuition to return to familiar shores.
And now that she found her way back to her roots, Bea feels all grown and ready to enrich what she has always felt like home. – Rappler.com