7 Things To Know About Binibining Pilipinas International 2021 Hannah Arnold

Origin story

Hannah Arnold was crowned Binibining Pilipinas International 2021 on July 11, but not after first failing in her first attempt at pageantry in 2019. That's right, Hannah isn't a first-timer on the Binibining Pilipinas stage. She sent in her application for the first time two years ago, but didn't make the cut. Now that she has the chance to talk about how she handled that experience, she said she used it to become a better competitor and more importantly, a much more well-informed, well-read, and cultured Filipino. She traveled locally, immersed herself in different cultures, and got in touch with her Pinoy roots, all of which should now give her an edge as a national representative in the Miss International pageant. She was trained by Aces & Queens.

Photo Credit: @arnoldhan_

Intelligence underneath

The best thing about modern pageant girls is that they're not just a collection of beautiful faces matched with killer physiques; they're powerful underneath their looks, many of whom are intelligent and ambitious. Hannah is no different. As a graduate from the University of Canberra with a degree in Applied Science in Forensic Studies, she's trained to understand and view things from a scientist's perspective. This appreciation for all things methodological and empirical has made her an advocate for STEM (science, tech, math, and engineering) education for children. She definitely believes that kids should be encouraged to nurture their interests in these areas and be given opportunities to learn about them in higher education.

Photo Credit: @arnoldhan_

Half and half

Hannah was born and raised in Canberra, Australia and her childhood trips to the Philippines always brought her to Masbate. It was there where she experienced what it meant to be Filipino for the first time. Her memories include lots of family time, lots of laughter, lots of feasting together, lots of love all around her. Though she's a native of Australia, these experiences of hers were enough to make her want to represent the other side of her cultural identity on the world stage. (As a side note, she's also competed in smaller scale Australian pageants, also representing the Philippines!).

Friendship goals

What makes Hannah's victory sweeter and more personal is that she's succeeding her pageant BFF, Patch Magtanong, as the Philippines' Miss International bet. Patch was there to crown Hannah when she was officially named Binibining Pilipinas International 2021 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, and both girls have fawned over each other on social media for reaching this milestone in their own special ways. "... I will use my entire mind, body and soul to make sure I continue your legacy,” Hannah said about how she would honor the work her friend laid down before her. Other than her BFF Patch, Hannah's other beauty queen idol is none other than Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach.

Bookworm

Even before getting the spotlight beamed onto her as a newly-crowned beauty queen, Hannah has been hard at work with her advocacy. She doesn't just push for children's education, but she specifically wants to make books accessible to underserved Filipino youth and make them feel that the joy of reading is definitely not a privilege reserved only for the rich. She loves books herself, and knows the transformative power a good book can hold, and she'd love for more children to experience this.

Photo Credit: @arnoldhan_

Winning moments

Hannah was always a strong bet since the start of this year's Binibining Pilipinas edition. But when she got on stage at the pageant proper, she did two things that solidified her status as someone who deserved one of the night's four crowns. First, she wowed everyone with her quick outfit change. For the long gown segment, she stepped out wearing a heavily sequined long-sleeved pink number with a pink skirt and after a few steps, she detached the skirt to reveal a figure-hugging silhouette underneath. Her second winning moment was, of course, her Q&A answer. The 25-year-old talked about how she believed in freedom of speech, and that it was important to uphold in the Philippines.

Photo Credit: @arnoldhan_

Just like you

Outside of pageant life, Hannah enjoys pretty much the same stuff that most people do. Milk tea, island hopping, dance, and time with family. She's not at all self-conscious about showing off both sides to her: one glamorous and another, more relaxed and laidback. And her Instagram (now with over 100,000 followers) should give you a pretty good look at what Hannah's life is like in its entirety.

Photo Credit: @arnoldhan_

Here are more gorgeous photos of Hannah Arnold. Keep scrolling...

Photo Credit: @claudevillahrmsa

Photo: @claudevillahrmsa of @studio7manila | Creative Direction: @erwnbotin of @botinstudios | Styling: @styledbypatrickhenry | Hairstyling: @jonaxlucas | Makeup: @carissacielomedved | Video: @mlaspinasph | Special thanks to: @studio7manila & @makeupbyjessiemaghuyop @aces_and_queens @empireph.mercator

Photo Credit: @claudevillahrmsa

Photo Credit: @claudevillahrmsa

Photo Credit: @claudevillahrmsa

Photo Credit: @claudevillahrmsa

Photo Credit: @claudevillahrmsa

Photo Credit: @claudevillahrmsa

Photo Credit: @claudevillahrmsa

Photography: @rxandy | Creative direction: @mikeeandrei | Styling: @yeoh.stylestudio | Swimsuits: @paulinabymikeeandrei | Shoes: @jojobragaisofficial | Fitness: @johncuay | Makeup: @makeupbyjessiemaghuyop | Hair: @jonaxlucas | Skincare: @avignonclinic | Special thanks to @aces_and_queens @bbpilipinasofficial

Photo Credit: @rxandy

Photo Credit: @rxandy

Photo Credit: @rxandy

Photo Credit: @rxandy

Photo Credit: @rxandy

Photo Credit: @rxandy

Photo Credit: @rxandy

Photo Credit: @rxandy