Bea Patricia Magtanong popularly known as Patch Magtanong, is a Filipino lawyer, beauty queenand fashion model who was crowned Binibining Pilipinas International 2019. She represented the Philippines at Miss International 2019 where she was placed at Top 8 at the end of the event finale.
In July 2014, Magtanong graduated with a degree in business economics from the University of the Philippines Diliman. She later went back and complete herlaw degree and is a lawyer now. On 28th April 2020, Patch shared a clip of her short speechfrom last year's testimonial dinner at the University of the Philippines Diliman as she was among 1,800 new lawyers who took oath after passing the 2018 bar exams.
Patch was then a Binibini candidate when she passed the exam and was asked to give a message before students and professors gathered at the Malcolm Hall Lobby. Patch said she wasn't ready to give a message or speech and was worried about how people would react to her decision to join a beauty pageant.
She in her speech stated, “We’re all entitled to have a multitude of diverse interests, talents and pursuits. A person’s academic performance (or his performance on a single exam for that matter) is not the sole basis of his worth. There’s so much more to life than law, take it from me. Tomorrow’s results matter, but remember that there’s so much more to you than whether or not you pass the bar."
She concluded her post with congratulating every candidate and asked them to serve the people of the country. Unlike in previous years, the list of passers was posted on the Supreme Court's website and not at Padre Faura due to the corona virus pandemic.
When Patch participated in Binibining Pilipinas 2019, she aspired to represent the country at Miss Universe stage and strengthen emphasis and further her advocacy on social justice, particularly on the rights of prisoners. But she was equally happy to be crowned as Binibining Pilipinas International 2019; title she now holds. She is working and will be using her platform for the causes she believes in.
Patch’s little and sweetest attempt to let the stress off from the minds of the people who will be graduating this year comes off as very generous. It feels like she understands the pressure of a grad student and wanted to share her experience with them.