The Musings of Filipina Muse Bea Millan-Windorski: The Weight of the Crown and the Gravity of Her Dreams

“I’ve always enjoyed marching to the beat of my own drum,” shares Miss Universe Philippines 2026 Bea Millan-Windorski, who represented La Union during the competition. But what it took for her to get into that groove was the stuff that brings out the melancholic melodies. Not sad, just mellow and introspective. 

Deep thoughts about identity, purpose, and a sense of belonging found her early on in life. Born to a Filipino mother and an American father in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States—with maternal grandparents who immigrated from San Juan, La Union, Philippines—Bea grew up, in her own words, “socially awkward.” 

“I still deal with insecurities about that sometimes,” she admits, inspiring with her raw and real take on constant growth, self-improvement, and self-love. This beauty queen was not the campus queen one may have imagined her to be. “Growing up, being around people who did not look like me, who didn’t have the same cultural values as me, I always felt like a fish out of water and like I would never truly belong… I was always the tallest person in my class. I had a bit of a unibrow, and I feel like not having role models who look like me partially influenced that lack of confidence.”

Bea opens up further, saying, “I would say I was always confident about my academic ability and my ability to speak out for what I believed in. Because growing up, my parents really encouraged me to be civically minded, to think critically. And then I also did competitive debate all throughout high school and college. So I think that’s made me very confident with public speaking. But actually, throughout my Miss Universe Philippines journey, it’s been more about coming to terms with how I look, realizing that I don’t have to always default to trying to prove that I’m the smartest person in the room. Sometimes it’s about being not just maganda physically, but also maganda inside and out.” 

What does it mean to be a beauty queen, after all? For Bea, it clearly goes beyond getting glammed up, posing for photographs, and modeling onstage. It’s a combination of being a model and a role model. After competing and eventually winning the coveted title, the sash and the crown merged, transforming into a key that opens a door to a multiverse of opportunities. 

However, Bea winning Miss Universe Philippines 2026 raised questions about whether she is “Filipino enough” to represent the country on the global stage. Nationality is one thing, but national identity is another story. She may have lived miles away from the Philippines, but theirs was a distinctly Filipino home.

“We really can’t choose who our parents are or who our bloodline is. But what we can choose to do is live what it is to be a Filipino and live the values every single day,” Bea points out. 

And at their home, her mom and grandmother made sure she would not be a stranger to her Filipino heritage. “I remember the first recipes I learned were arroz caldo and lumpia,” she says. “And it really helped me feel like I had a place in the world because growing up with no one looking like me, I always felt like there was maybe a little part of me that was missing. But by continuing to engage with my Filipino heritage—and my mom even encouraged me to pursue my studies in history and Southeast Asian studies in university—that’s when I really felt like I had my path, and that’s what eventually inspired me to come back home.” Home, after all, is not something tangible; it’s a feeling, an emotional connection to a place. 

Among the most memorable parts of her childhood were spent in La Union, known as the surfing capital of the north in the Philippines. The beaches in the province were her playground, reinforcing her love for nature. It comes as no surprise then that surfing and paddleboarding are among her favorite pastimes. 

But this woman, “the fish out of water,” doesn’t simply want to ride the waves; she wants to make waves from ripples. That was a calling and purpose she realized at a young age. “My childhood dream was to one day work for the United Nations,” Bea recalls. “And that’s something that my mom actually really encouraged, because that was also her dream, funnily enough. She wanted to major in international relations, but my lola encouraged her to take the more traditional path of becoming a registered nurse.” Bea later lived the same dream by majoring in history and international relations. 

She is unbothered by the “halfie” (half-Filipino, half-American) issue and chooses to focus on the more important conversations that her platform as Miss Universe Philippines 2026 can now amplify. 

The truth is she never imagined herself pursuing pageantry. For her first pageant, though her mother signed her up, the experience made her realize it could intersect with her passions. Bea is blunt in saying that she treats pageantry as a stepping stone, which she hopes would ultimately create a pathwalk to her dream of becoming a changemaker.  

“I still do carry that dream of working within international relations, especially asserting the rights and dignity of Filipinos in the international sphere,” Bea expounds. “I partially feel like I’m doing that through Miss Universe because I think of it less as a pageant and more of an international convening of girls who are really doing the work in their home countries.”

Besides the activities related to the pageant and the 75th Miss Universe coronation night itself, Bea looks forward to not only meeting people in Puerto Rico, where the pageant will be held, but also making friends. 

“I feel like my experience at Miss Earth was: I bonded with a lot of girls because you bond when you’re honest,” reflects Bea, who also held the Miss Earth Water 2024 title. “When you say, ‘Oh, I might be feeling a bit insecure,’ or ‘Oh, I feel a bit socially awkward.’ And then that vulnerability is what could form a really beautiful friendship. So I’m definitely taking the same approach as I go on to the Miss Universe stage.”

With about a month away from the Miss Universe coronation night, Bea is deeply immersed in preparations. The past months since winning the local pageant have been all about fulfilling commitments and attending events. But this month, she says, “is all about returning to the inner self, making sure that I’m not only as physically fit as possible, but mentally strong.” 

One area she wanted to focus on specifically in her training is how she answers at the Q&A segment. While there’s no question about how eloquent she is, Bea leans more toward the meaning behind her answer rather than the delivery. It’s more about striking the balance between a well-thought-out and spontaneous response. 

“I’m hoping to work on my Q&A to make it more relatable and so that it could strike a chord with the rest of the universe,” Bea explains. “When I think of one of my favorite Miss Universe answers, it was ‘What would you do if there were no rules in the world?’ And Miss Universe from that year [Miss Universe 1997 Brook Lee] said, ‘I would eat everything in the world twice.’ So, I really resonate with answers like that.” 

By taking the competition seriously and giving it her all—yet choosing to stay grounded in the present rather than overthinking—Bea approaches her Miss Universe journey with fierce intention.

A woman driven by multiple passions, Bea lends her voice to various causes and advocacies—from public service, civic engagement, and grassroots impact. She speaks up for environmental conservation & climate action, OFW protection & empowerment, human rights & inclusivity, as well as anti-corruption & good governance. 

She can talk for hours about each of these advocacies, and she’s thrilled that with her role as Miss Universe Philippines 2026, more people have lent her their ears and extended helping hands to champion the things she wants to draw attention to. 

But with everything that’s happening in her personal and professional life, as well as in the Philippines and the rest of the world, of which she’s passionately concerned, life can get overwhelming. A self-confessed emotional person, Bea knows she could do better handling her emotions instead of letting everything bottle up.

We asked: When was the last time you cried? “Yesterday,” she tells Metro.Style. “I cried yesterday just because we were stuck in traffic; I needed to be somewhere very quickly. And it was a moment of, ‘Oh, I have so much going on, and I have so much more I need to do…’ But once I cry, shed a few tears, it’s all good. I’m ready to move forward.”

Bea’s work toward her goals and dreams began long before she wore the crown, and it certainly won’t end when she passes the crown. She has a long list of things she wants to do and achieve when it’s time for her to crown the next queen. 

On the personal front, Bea says she will pursue law school. “When I got the call to join Miss Universe Philippines, I was actually in the midst of taking the law school entrance exams for Ateneo and UP, two of my dream schools.” So when she’s done with her Miss Universe journey, picking up where she left off with that dream is next on her bucket list. 

Bea cites two former Miss Universe Philippines titleholders as her inspirations: Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray and Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Rabiya Mateo. These women show what life could look like post-pageantry. On Catriona, who inspired her to be more confident in who she is as an individual and how she looked, Bea shares, “Her life and career post-Miss Universe is kind of the legacy that I would want to have, where the crown is just an entry point for larger social issues and engagement.” Similar to her plans of returning to school, Rabiya, on the other hand, is pursuing further education, having enrolled in the Doctor of Medicine program of the University of Santo Tomas. Somewhere out there, Bea is this same kind of inspiration to others. 

And whenever we think about the relevance of beauty queens or pageantry today, it’s evident in the waves of change that seeing women inspiring other women brings about. “Beauty pageants remain relevant today because we’re in an increasingly polarized world where there are fewer and fewer forums, where different countries are willing and able to engage with one another. Even in the United Nations, almost every single resolution is at a bypass where the sides aren’t willing to come together, but pageantry is one of the only venues where women can come together and recognize that we have so many more similarities and differences where we can empower other women to not only be the change in their own communities and countries, but all across the globe.“

What do you envision life would be like if you win Miss Universe? Bea replies, “One of the initiatives that I really want to undertake if I were to win the international crown is—I love connecting with communities that usually aren’t reached out to here in the Philippines, and I would want to bring the same energy internationally.” 

What if you don’t win? How do you move forward? “If I don’t win, I am just going to continue the work that I’ve been doing as Miss Universe Philippines, because it’s an honor that doesn’t just last a year. It’s truly a lifetime. You are Miss Universe Philippines forever, and I hope to continue using this title to uplift vulnerable communities, to raise awareness of pressing issues that people might not be aware of, and then I also hope to combine the visibility that I get through being a pageant title holder with a higher education, being a lawyer, because I really believe that this is a trial run of what it’s like to be a public servant, so I’m excited and ready to continue giving back to the Philippines.” 

What is your definition of success? “My definition of success is the kind of positive impact you have on others. For me, it’s never monetary. It’s not about how popular or how famous you become, because when I pass, I hope that I’m remembered for putting a smile on someone else’s face, for making sure that someone who feels like they’ve never been heard is heard, that their hopes and wishes are amplified out into the universe through me and through what I hope to bring.” 

Wearing creations by Filipino fashion designers—such as Rhett Eala, Joey Samson, and Jaggy Glarino—Bea Millan-Windorski, our representative at the upcoming Miss Universe 2026, strengthens the notion of a Filipina muse, someone who wears many hats and lives and breathes purpose with every fabric of her being.

What do you love most about the Philippines and being Filipino? “One of the most valuable lessons that I learned growing up is the value of pakikipagkapwa, the recognition that you’re my sister, you’re my brother, because we’re all human. We share the same joys, the same sorrows, and the same hopes and aspirations. And in a time where the world is increasingly polarized, I hope that the world could learn from Filipinos the value of pakikipagkapwa, the recognition that our similarities are far greater than our differences, and if we come together and meet in the middle, we could build a brighter and more equitable future for all.“

Bea’s passion and energy are infectious. She views life from such a positive lens that it’s hard not to be moved by her words, thoughts, and actions. 

What is your greatest asset? “My greatest asset is my voice, because I’ve never been one who is scared to keep quiet. I’ve never been one who’s scared to share my opinions, and I hope that by continuing to be outspoken, by continuing to be confident, I could encourage other young Filipinos to do the same.“

Ironically, with all that she is and everything she does—hey, she even used to play cello and went to ballet school—we were curious: What’s something Bea cannot do? She giggles and says, “I can’t do karaoke to save my life. I have a really bad singing voice. I definitely got my dad’s genes when it comes to karaoke.“ 

But Bea, she has always marched to the beat of her own drum, and she is writing an entirely new score. Give her the stage, hand her the mic, and she’ll make sure every word echoes with purpose.

Metro Head: Christina Lopez

Editor-in-Chief: Geolette Esguerra

Sittings Editors: Grace Libero-Cruz and Kate Paras-Santiago

Managing Editor: Rick Formalejo

Creative Director: Randz Manucom

Photographer: Dookie Ducay

Stylist: Eldzs Mejia

Makeup: Mickey See 

Hairstylist: Jonas Lucas

Fashion Associate: Carla Buyo

Cover Story: Grace Libero-Cruz

Editorial Assistant: Chloe Eve Nillar

Shoot Assistant: Pauline Monteverde

Videography: Pat Buenaobra, assisted by Gimo Besinga and John Paul Olviga

Set Design: Laya Concept

Set design assistants: Montano Dela Cruz Jr., Fruñel Consulta, Mica Martinez, Janice Consulta, and Jayson Mahaguay 

Layout: Alfred Amado and Abigail Guiang

Shot on Location at Pioneerxstudios 

Food sponsor: Illo’s and Nolita Joe’s

Special thanks to Miss Universe Philippines