MANILA, Philippines — Winning a Binibini crown was a long time coming for Pampanga representative Jasmin Bungay.

It was a childhood dream of hers! And so, when she was crowned Bb. Pilipinas Globe 2024, her long journey to the crown was a dream come true.

But the road to the crown was not an easy one. It took her several years of planning, and saving, for her Binibini journey. Unknown to many, joining a national pageant is a very costly endeavor. You need funds to have your national costume, two evening gowns (one for prelims, and one for the finals), and several required apparel made for the competition.

During a recent visit to the Philstar.com office, the newly-crowned queens estimated that their total expenses reached to six (even seven) digits. Apart from the national costume and evening gowns, candidates need to have ready dresses to wear to activities and events throughout the entire duration of the pre-pageant calendar.

Jasmine had to think long and hard because she had to leave a lucrative job in the Middle East. And which also meant no income for her, and no support extended to her family for the time being. But she also knew she couldn’t dilly-dally because her biological clock was ticking – and if she postponed her candidacy for another year – she would be quite old for the national pageant, and more so for the international finals should she win a national title.

“I contemplated for years, yet my actions were anchored on joining the Binibini pageant. I had to convince my parents that it was the perfect time for me to join this year. This decision also meant that my financial support to the family would be paused in the interim,” revealed the former secondary school teacher.

She said she dabbled in the teaching profession for a short while but realized it was not for her.

“I see Binibining Pilipinas as a community and family. I saw how they take care of the candidates, most especially their queens,” she continued.

During the rehearsals, the candidates, including herself, were giddy looking at all the past queens. And when she won a title, it dawned on her that she can now call past queens, like Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach and Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, as her Binibini sisters.

“But it was Venus Raj’s journey I identified with the most. She came from humble beginnings and made a name for herself,” she said.

Binibining Pilipnas – Universe 2010 Ma. Venus Raj was the first, in a long line of queens, that broke the country’s semifinal drought at the Miss Universe pageant. Her Top 5 placement in the 2010 Miss Universe edition started the country’s longest semifinal streak, to date.