MANILA, Philippines — Binibini #17 Hannah Arnold of Masbate was hailed as this year's Binibining Pilipinas International at the conclusion of this year's Binibining Pilipinas pageant in Araneta Coliseum today.
Arnold won over 33 other candidates representing the country's provinces, towns and cities. She was also among the top choices for Best in Long gown for her dress with her favorite touch of pink that symbolizes her transformation.
During the pageant's question and answer portion, she was asked if she believes that genuine freedom of speech exists in the country, to which she replied:
"First of all, freedom of speech is a basic human right that we all must remember It is important for a democracy. With our upcoming elections, we definitely need free speech. For example on Twitter, we are limited to few characters and what I’ve seen from these tweets has been powerful and has helped me think about who I would like to vote for in the upcoming elections."
A model and a scientist, Arnold first joined Binibini in 2019 and landed in the top 15. She was often described as Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach's lookalike.
Related: WATCH: Pia Wurtzbach reacts to her Binibining Pilipinas 2019 lookalike
Standing at 180 cm tall, the 25-year-old Arnold hailed from Canberra, Australia and is born to a Filipina mom and an Irish-Australian dad. She graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Forensic Studies from the University of Canberra.
Other Binibining Pilipinas 2021 winners include:
- Cavite’s Samantha Panlilio got the Binibining Grand International crown
- Cagayan de Oro’s Cinderella Obenita bagged Binibining Pilipinas Intercontinental
- Batangas’ Maureen Montagne won Binibining Pilipinas Globe
- Eastern Samar’s Gabrielle Basiano is the 1st runner-up
- Valenzuela’s Meiji Cruz is the 2nd runner-up
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