Gazini Ganados

Biography

Gazini Christiana Jordi Acopiado Ganados (Tagalog: [gaˈsinɪ gaˈnɐdɔs]; born December 26, 1995) is a Filipino beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss Universe Philippines 2019. She represented the Philippines at the Miss Universe 2019 pageant where she placed in the Top 20 and won the Best National Costume Award. Ganados previously competed in Miss World Philippines 2014 where she placed in the Top 13. At Binibining Pilipinas 2019, she won the main title which allowed her to represent the Philippines at Miss Universe. She was the last Binibining Pilipinas winner to compete in that pageant before the national Miss Universe title was transferred to a standalone organization. Ganados later competed in the first edition of MGI All Stars (2026) where she placed in the Top 5.

== Early life and education == Gazini Christiana Jordi Acopiado Ganados was born in Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines, to a domestic partnership between her Palestinian father and Filipino mother who later separated. Ganados was raised by her maternal grandparents. Ganados and her family moved and have resided in the city of Talisay, Cebu, since she was in sixth grade. She studied tourism management and later earned a certificate for providing health care services from the University of San Jose–Recoletos in Cebu City.

== Pageantry ==

=== Miss World Philippines 2014 ===

Ganados joined Miss World Philippines 2014 and placed in the Top 13. Valerie Weigmann won the said pageant.

=== Binibining Pilipinas 2019 ===

In March 2019, the Binibining Pilipinas pageant announced Ganados as one of the 40 contestants for the 2019 edition. She represented her hometown of Talisay, Cebu. For the national costume competition, she wore an ensemble inspired by Queen Juana, queen consort of Rajah Humabon of the ancient Rajahnate of Cebu, which was designed to represent of the festivities and meaning of the Sinulog Festival in her home province. In honor of her Middle Eastern roots, she chose to perform a belly dance presentation during the talent competition. Leading up to the main contest, Ganados won two special awards: Best in Long Gown and Face of Binibini. During the coronation night, she advanced to the semifinals and then progressed to the Top 15. During the question and answer portion of the national pageant, she was asked about what she can do to "get more women in the workplace". In her response, she emphasized her elderly care advocacy and pointed at one's elders as an inspiration to pursue one's ambitions. At the end of the event, she was named the winner of the title Miss Universe Philippines 2019, the main position contested in the pageant, succeeding Catriona Gray, who won Miss Universe the preceding year. She is the second Cebuana to win the Miss Universe Philippines title, after Pilar Pilapil who won in 1967, and the last to win under the Binibining Pilipinas organization. Following her reign as a national titleholder, she crowned two successors as a result of the transfer of her title to a new organization: Rabiya Mateo in October 2020 for the Miss Universe Philippines pageant, and Hannah Arnold in July 2021 for the Binibining Pilipinas pageant.

=== Miss Universe 2019 ===