The 57th edition of Binibining Pilipinas, i.e., Binibining Pilipinas 2021, was held on 11th July 2021 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines, where Hannah Arnold of Masbate (Binibini 17) was crowned Binibining Pilipinas International 2021 and will now represent the Philippines at Miss International 2021.
This year’s Miss International pageant is set to happen this November in Japan and Hannah will be representing Philippines for the country's seventh crown. In a recent interview, the diva has revealed some of her plans and preparations for the international stint later this year.
She said, “I am such a fan of Miss International that I really enjoyed the performance of Ate Bea (Rose Santiago), Kylie (Verzosa), Ahtisa (Manalo), Patch (Magtanong). Every year, I really watch it. I see what these girls do. They really study Japanese culture. They are so respectful by learning the language. Even their outfits, it’s so perfectly prepared. I know it’s going to take a whole village to prepare me.”
For the first stage of her preparation she said, she actually studied Japanese in high school but would like to take a refresher “and make sure it’s a good representation of the Philippines that we are willing to learn their culture.” In another interview, Hannah has admitted her execution during the evening gown competition for Binibining Pilipinas 2021 could have been a lot better, which why she will be working towards her walk and presentation.
She also shared that she would like to pay homage to Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc.’s Stella Marquez Araneta, who was the first-ever Miss International. “Madam Stella is the first Miss International and it’s the 60th Miss International so what I want to do is I want to celebrate her. I want to somehow incorporate maybe if she had a particular outfit that might have been captured. I want to bring that with me,” she said.
She has been willing to have conversations with the country’s past winners and ask them for tips and lots of questions. “I just really want to be the voice of the Filipinos there. Again, if I am allowed to travel around, I want to go in the community and hear what other people would want to say and hear their suggestions. It would really take more than just myself to bring home the seventh crown,” she added.
Apart from all the preparations, on being asked if she thinks she has enough time to prepare for it, she said, “I am hoping that one of the reasons I was given this title is my personality. I am hoping that I won’t need to change too much. I will just need to focus on pasarela (the pageant walk), preparing the outfits and preparing an amazing speech if I am lucky enough to be one of the finalists to present that.”
Currently, Philippines has six Miss International crowns in total. The last time the country won in the said pageant was in 2016 when Kylie Verzosa represented the Philippines. Hannah has begun her preparations in full swing, she dazzle the International stage stronger and better than the national stage, with the goal to bring home the crown.