Binibining Pilipinas Globe Jasmin Bungay. Image: INQUIRER.net/Armin P. Adina
Binibining Pilipinas Jasmin Bungay is set to fly the country’s colors in this year’s edition of The Miss Globe pageant in Albania. But for her, this will not be the first time that she will “represent” the Philippines in the international community.
The 26-year-old Kapampangan lass said that as an overseas Filipino worker in the Middle East, she felt that it was her duty to paint a positive picture of the Philippines to people of different races that she encountered in her job.
“I spent five years in Dubai. And during those years, it already felt like I was representing the Philippines. Because I want the other nationalities, my friends, my colleagues, to have a high regard for the Philippines and for the Filipinos,” Bungay responded to INQUIRER.net’s question during her send-off press conference held at the Quantum Skyview of Gateway Mall 2 at the Araneta City in Quezon City on Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 18.
“Even in the way that I work, even in the way that I deal with them, speak with them, or whenever I speak about our culture and practice it, I made sure that they would have a good impression. If they had a different take on the Filipinos, I make sure that I change it to something positive. So I think that alone prepared me. Because if then I felt like I was already representing the Philippines, that means that those experiences prepared me for this very amazing and momentous time in my life,” she continued.
Bungay will fly to Albania for The Miss Globe contest just a little over two months since winning her Binibining Pilipinas title during the 60th anniversary of the longest-running national pageant in the Philippines. But she confessed that she initially planned on coming back home to join the 59th edition last year.
“I planned on joining the year prior, [but] I did not push through. I only got to materialize the plan this year and it was the 60th year ‘pa.’ Sabi ko parang sakto yata (I said it seems as if things are falling into place). This year, if you’re following all of the other pageants also, you would realize that almost all of the winners are from Pampanga for 2024. And it is still 2024. So I think that’s also telling something. You want to keep the momentum swinging for Pampanga, of course, for Philippines,” she shared.
The other Kapampangan women who posted podium finishes in national contests this year have already included her fellow Binibining Pilipinas queen Myrna Esguerra (who represented her father’s home province of Abra in the national tilt), The Miss Philippines-Charm 2025 Cyrille Payumo, 2024 Miss World Philippines Second Princess Sophia Santos and 2024 Mutya ng Pilipinas-World Top Model Anne Klein Castro.
“I started from zero, from scratch. And when I was finally in a position where I was already comfortable in terms of my lifestyle in Dubai, I was already 26, and this chapter, or this aspect in my life, I feel like it’s not yet complete. And I feel like if I forgo [of] my career in pageant, then I would spend the rest of my life regretting why I didn’t do it,” Bungay said.
But her two-month reign so far did not only include international pageant preparations. “Recently, we’ve been doing a lot of charity work with World Vision Philippines. And those activities were really eye-openers for us, that it’s important for a child to dream. And also, given the educational crisis that we have right now, it’s very important for us to get involved in this certain aspect of the society, because as beauty queens, we have to fill the gaps where we can,” she said.
The experience, Bungay said, left a huge impact on them. “It motivated us even more, that beauty queens are more than just pretty faces. We have to be active members of the society. And being an active member of the society means you have to do these things. You have to be where the problems are as much as you can,” she shared.
Bungay will try to post the Philippines’ fourth victory in the various iterations of the international competition. Three previous Bb. Pilipinas queens brought home the crown—Maricar Balagtas as Miss Globe in 2001, and Ann Lorraine Colis and Maureen Montagne as The Miss Globe in 2015 and 2021, respectively.
These three Filipino women represent a diverse range of backgrounds and physical traits. “There’s no one mold, and there’s no one way to the crown. As someone who is a risk taker, I make sure to carve my own path. That’s what I’m gonna do, I will carve my own path towards The Miss Globe crown,” Bungay said.
The 2024 edition of The Miss Globe pageant will culminate in a coronation show to be held in Tirana, Albania, on Oct. 15 (Oct. 16 in Manila), Last year’s Filipino delegate, Anna Lakrini, finished as second runner-up.