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NEW QUEEN. La Union’s Bea Millan-Windorski earns the right to represent the Philippines in the Miss Universe global stage.

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.

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.

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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.