5 Filipina Beauty Queens Who Have Served in the Military

There’s always more to beauty than meets the eye. In a country that treats pageantry like a national sport, beauty queens are judged and perceived far beyond their looks. They’re treated as role models admired for excelling in their own fields and being the multifaceted women that they are. Some of them inspire others for their commitment to serving the country, going as far as enlisting in the military to help their community.

With a passion for serving others, Reina Hispanoamericana 2017 Winwyn Marquez enlisted in the Philippine Naval Reserve Command to become a Marine Reservist in 2020. By the end of her training, she finished at the top of her class and was also named the Batch Dakila President. Five years later, Winwyn competed on the Miss Universe Philippines stage for the last time before announcing that she would retire from pageantry.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines congratulated Beatrice Luigi Gomez after she was crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2021. Then a corporal, she was soon promoted to the rank of sergeant and continued to serve in the Philippine Navy Reserve Unit after clinching the national title. Beatrice was even called up to speak at the Armed Forces of the Philippines Reservists National Convention and 1st ARRAPI General Assembly, where she shared her experience as a community development worker.

Katrina Llegado graduated from the Reserve Force of the Philippine Air Force in 2023. Inspired by her grandfather who was also a military man, the beauty queen found purpose beyond pageantry through public service. Katrina took home the Miss Supranational title for the Philippines in 2026, besting 66 other contestants in Poland. She’s only the second Filipino Miss Supranational after Mutya Datul won in 2013.

Miss Philippines Air 2018 Zahra Bianca Saldua joined the Philippine Army as a reservist a year after winning her title. In her post announcing herself as a 2nd lieutenant, Bianca expressed that serving in the military has been her dream since her ROTC days in college. “I always wanted to serve our country. I always wanted to help the people and I wanted to be a part of the future of the Philippine Army being its representative to the public,” she wrote in her caption.

Irha Mel Alfeche was crowned Miss Philippines Earth in 2024. Coincidentally, in the same year, she was also promoted to the rank of sergeant in the Philippine Army. “That day reminded me of how far dedication, discipline, and purpose can take you,” she wrote in a post commemorating the milestone. Outside of pageantry, Irha is also a school teacher with a degree in Special Needs Education.