From Earth to the Universe: 7 Things To Know About Bea Millan-Windorski

Meet the next Miss Universe Philippines. After months of competition, Miss Universe Philippines 2026 came to a close with the crowning of Filipino-American Bea Millan-Windorski as Miss Universe Philippines during the coronation night last May 2. Seen as a frontrunner from the start, the 24-year-old queen proved her worth and then some. Among this year’s 50 delegates, she was the one to walk away with the Jewelmer La Mer en Majesté crown on her head and represent the Philippines in Miss Universe 2026 in Costa Rica this November.

As the latest queen to join the vaunted line of Miss Universe Philippines titleholders, Bea brings more than just beauty and confidence, but also a story of a multi-dimensional young Filipina who not only strived to connect with her heritage, but has also used her platform to advocate for positive social change from social media to the streets. Here’s what you need to know about Miss Universe Philippines 2026 Bea Millan-Windorski.    

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She Was Born and Raised in the US

Bea, whose maternal grandparents hail from La Union, was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She spent her childhood and most of her young adult life there, attending high school and college in the Midwestern state. Bea is Filipino-American by blood, with her Filipino roots coming from her mother’s side of the family. She moved to the Philippines in the past year and is currently based in Makati City.    

She Has Multiple Talents and Interests

Pageants aren’t the only thing Bea is good at, as growing up, she immersed herself in multiple hobbies and activities. While attending Whitefish Bay High School, she was a member of the string orchestra and the debate team. She was also part of the school’s varsity dance team, a talent of hers she flexed when she stood front row during the Miss Universe Philippines 2026 coronation night opening number.

Adding to her impressive repertoire is that she also trained in ballet at the Milwaukee Ballet School and studied cello at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. Academically, Bea received a double major and graduated with honors from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she was also a member of the Psi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta, earning bachelor’s degrees in History and International Relations.

She’s a Miss Earth USA Titleholder

Even during the application period, Bea had a reputation among local pageant fans as one to watch, and that’s because she represented Wisconsin at Miss Earth USA in 2024. With the assistance of her trainer, Miss Philippines Earth Water 2013 Alma Cabasal, Bea took home the title of Miss Earth USA 2024. At just 21 years old, her win made history as the first-ever Filipino-American to have won the Miss Earth USA competition.  

She Made It to the Top Five of Miss Earth

No stranger to representing a country at an international pageant, Bea made a splash at the Miss Earth 2024 pageant, where she advanced all the way to the Top 5. In the end, she was named Miss Earth Water 2024, with Australia’s Jessica Lane taking home the top prize while the Philippines’ bet, Irha Mel Alfeche, finished in the Top 12. Now that she’s representing the Philippines in Miss Universe, Bea’s looking to finish the job and take home the main title.

She’s an Advocate for the Environment

When some expect beauty queens to just smile and look pretty, Bea is unapologetically vocal about the causes she believes in, mainly as an advocate for the environment and migrant workers, which is rooted in her experiences as an immigrant herself and coming from an immigrant family. She started the advocacy group Open Doors, Open Hearts, which raises awareness on the experiences of climate refugees. When she lived in Milwaukee, she worked with refugee communities in the area and participated in the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020.  

Bea has partnered with a handful of local charities and organizations, such as Project Curma, which works to conserve sea turtles native to La Union, and Panatang Luntian, to advocate for the protection of the local environment and wildlife. When the flood control projects scandal and wider corruption issues broke out in the Philippines last year, Bea was there on the streets protesting, marching, and even speaking at events against corruption and for accountability, transparency, and pro-environment policies.

Her work has also extended to a fellowship with the Philippine Embassy, an internship at the East-West Center in Washington DC, research on US-ASEAN relations, and volunteering with the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), an organization that assists people escaping climate-related disasters in securing a legal path to asylum and safety.

La Union and the Philippines Hold a Special Place in Her Heart

Bea’s decision to represent La Union in Miss Universe Philippines comes from the fact that her maternal grandparents, Alfredo C. Millan and Marcela B. Millan, come from the region, and also how the place holds a lot of special memories for her when she was growing up. It was through her family that Bea was introduced to pageants, particularly in terms of the advocacy work involved. But her wider participation in the MUPH pageant stems from how she takes her Filipino heritage seriously. While Bea was born in the US, she considers herself a Filipina and has expressed how the Philippines is close to her heart.

Being Miss Universe Philippines is not just an achievement for her, but also a tribute to her family and Filipino roots. In a time when many young people are looking to start a new life abroad, Bea is doing the opposite by moving to the Philippines because she sees the potential in the country and its people.

“The Philippines is something and a place that I’ve been in love with my whole life. Growing up in a predominantly non-diverse part of the United States, I was identified as Filipina first and foremost. I often had to point [out] where the Philippines was on a map to my peers, and I always felt a sense of belonging and home,” she said during her Q&A segment.

“I chose to pack my life into balikbayan boxes and suitcases because I believe in the limitless potential of the Filipino people, and the fact that we need to create local opportunities here so that people don’t have to go abroad and be separated from their families in order to survive and thrive. If I were given the title of Miss Universe Philippines, I promise to be a public servant for all.”

For Bea, being Filipino is not an opportunity to win another crown, but a fact she celebrates, continues to educate herself on, and strives to champion on a global stage.  

She’s a Model

With her beauty, poise, and confidence, it’s no surprise that Bea has been tapped by labels and designers to model their clothes. Over the past year, she’s been asked to, among other things, walk the IÑIGO show during Manila Fashion Week 2025, model for the Louis Vuitton Cruise 2026 collection in Manila, and walk for Leo Almodal in NYFW, where she closed the show. From local designers to high fashion houses, Bea has served as a muse to many, and we have a feeling she’ll continue to do so as Miss Universe Philippines 2026.  

Featured Image and Photos: BEA MILLAN-WINDORSKI (via Instagram), MISS UNIVERSE PHILIPPINES (via Instagram)