A crown, a cause and Katrina Johnson
As she gears up for the 64th Miss International Beauty Pageant in Tokyo, Japan, on 25 November, Binibining Pilipinas International 2025 Katrina Johnson hopes to make her mark beyond the competition. The pharmacist and beauty queen sees the international stage as a chance to champion causes close to her heart, help others and use her platform to spotlight issues that often go unheard.
During a press conference following her courtesy call with Japanese Ambassador Katsuro Kitagawa, Johnson shared how a childhood interest in pageantry gradually developed into a dream of representing the country on the international stage.
“Since then, I watched every audition, and I looked forward to who the Binibining International representative would be,” she said.
Her interest grew as she learned more about the pageant and its mission. What began as simple curiosity eventually became a desire to use the platform to inspire others and raise awareness of issues that often go unnoticed.
“In terms of my inspiration, it’s just wanting to be the type of woman who could inspire and call attention to things that need attention,” she added.
Johnson’s commitment to service also comes from her professional background. As a pharmacist, she has long been drawn to work that helps improve people’s lives, a value she hopes to carry into her pageant journey.
“I’m a pharmacist by profession, so I’ve always been about service and wanting people to feel better,” Johnson said.
This is one reason Miss International holds particular meaning for her. She sees the competition as an opportunity to demonstrate that pageantry can go beyond physical beauty, stage presence and elaborate performances. For Johnson, its value lies in what candidates do for others outside the competition.
“It’s not really like a typical pageant nowadays. They don’t really focus on the performance aspect like a grand show; they focus on what you’re doing outside of it,” she explained.
Turning pressure into motivation
As the international competition draws closer, Johnson is aware of the expectations that come with representing the Philippines. Rather than allowing those expectations to overwhelm her, she sees them as a reason to work harder and continue improving.
“I don’t really take it as a burden or a heaviness, but rather, it just really makes me want to do even better,” she said.
She also draws strength from the support of Filipino pageant fans, who have long shown their enthusiasm for the country’s representatives on the international stage. Johnson hopes to deliver a performance that reflects the confidence, character and excellence of Filipinas.
“I want to make sure that I give them the performance and showcase the level of Filipina that the Filipinos deserve,” she said.
Comparisons with candidates from other countries are inevitable, particularly in an international competition where each representative brings her own strengths and experiences. Johnson, however, chooses to focus on the people who have supported her and the responsibility she feels toward them.
“Of course, when you think about it, ‘Oh my gosh, can I measure up?’ That’s really where I fall back on. I have 117 million Filipinos that I need to laban for. I don’t think that it is pressure, but rather motivation,” she shared.
For Johnson, the thought of representing millions of Filipinos is not a weight she has to carry alone. Instead, it reminds her why she pursued the opportunity in the first place and encourages her to give her best throughout the competition.
A purpose beyond the crown
Winning the Miss International title would be a significant achievement, but Johnson’s ambitions extend beyond the results of the competition. She hopes to use the attention that comes with the title to amplify meaningful causes and give a voice to people and communities whose concerns might otherwise be overlooked.
Her approach reflects a view of pageantry in which visibility carries responsibility. While the crown may put a candidate in the spotlight, Johnson believes that attention is most valuable when it can be directed toward others.
“Although technically I have the spotlight, I wanted to be able to redirect that to the people who actually need it, because that’s what pageantry is all about for me,” she said.
As she prepares for the November competition in Tokyo, Johnson is carrying that purpose with her. Beyond representing the Philippines onstage, she hopes to show that a beauty queen’s influence can extend well beyond the crown — through service, advocacy and the people she chooses to uplift.