Samantha Panlilio to join politics as party-list nominee

Bb. Pilipinas Grand International 2021 Samantha Panlilio / ARMIN P. ADINA

Former Binibining Pilipinas Grand International Samantha Panlilio has officially thrown her hat into the politic ring, and has agreed to be the second nominee for the Agimat party-list group, which is seeking to continue its incumbency at the House of Representatives.

At the sidelines of the launching of her Pangarap at Kalinga (PAK) Foundation on Wednesday, Sept. 25, Panlilio told INQUIRER.net that her close confidantes — Miss Universe Philippines 2023 Michelle Marquez Dee, The Miss Globe 2021 Maureen Montagne, and 2021 Reina Hispanoamericana Filipinas Emmanuel Vera — are among those she consulted about her decision to join politics.

“Yes, I’ve actually shared, you know, my plans to all my best friends, so that includes Maureen, Iman [Vera] as well,” Panilio said.

“And they’ve all been very, very supportive. And it’s also so nice to see the girls help me in the ‘PAK’ Foundation launch. So very excited for it. And I’m just so grateful to have such great support systems in my life,” she said of the

Panlilio, a legacy queen who counts the late Bb. Pilipinas winner Myrna Panlilio as an aunt, hails from Cavite, which is where the Agimat party-list also originated. Through her PAK Foundation, the beauty queen-entrepreneur hoped to formalize her immersion in community development, focusing on education, healthcare, and livelihood projects.

“Honestly, I think my friends would be giving me the most emotional support. You know, they keep me grounded. They keep me on the right path as well,” she shared.

PAK Foundation, Panlilio said, hopes to uplift the “underserved youth” through empowerment and sustainable programs. Its first project is the construction of four classrooms at the Ternate National High School in her hometown, that will accommodate senior high school students and new enrollees.

“One classroom is around P800,000. And being in real estate, I really know the prices, but we have different sponsors. I’ve actually been live-selling my old pageant clothes to raise funds,” she shared.

Panlilio is not the first Bb. Pilipinas queen to venture into politics. Among them are The Miss Globe 2019 second runner-up and incumbent Los Banos Councilor Leren Mae Bautista, and 1996 Bb. Pillipinas Globe Daisy Reyes who was a Pateros councilor.

But the Binibini-turned-politician who resonates with Panlilio the most is 1996 Miss International semifinalist and incumbent Tingog party-list Rep. Yedda Romualdez, wife of Speaker Martin Romualdez, who is cousin to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

“I know she won the Miss International Binibini crown years back. And, you know, I also had some interactions with her during my stint in Miss Universe Philippines, because she was there also in Leyte, and I think she’s just a very inspiring woman as well,” Panlilio said.

She said that PAK Foundation is now looking into the possibility of donating a boat to a school in Bohol. “They’re in an island, and they couldn’t cross to get to school. And I know there are a lot of situations like that in Bohol and Cebu as well. That’s our next big project,” she continued.