MANILA — After 55 years, Binibining Pilipinas, in its words, is opening a “new era” as the national pageant announced over the weekend the launch of its 2020 search for new queens.

On its social media channels, pageant organizer Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI) said applications for the next year’s competition are now open.

BPCI teased that fans can look forward to “a bigger and better edition of the most prestigious beauty pageant in the country.”

The announcement came with an image of four titlists of the 2019 pageant: Patch Magtanong, who represented the Philippines in Miss International; Leren Bautista, Miss Globe; Emma Tiglao, Miss Intercontinental; and Resham Saeed, Miss Supranational.

Also included in the image is Aya Abesamis, who finished first runner-up in the same batch.

Notable exclusions are Samantha Lo, who resigned from her post as Binibining Pilipinas Grand International; and Gazini Ganados, the Philippines’ bet to Miss Universe 2019.

The 2020 pageant of Binibining Pilipinas will mark the first time, in 55 years, it will not crown a Miss Universe-Philippines winner, hence the “new era.”

The local franchise of Miss Universe is now with a different group headed by 2011 Miss Universe-Philippines titlist Shamcey Supsup, which has similarly started its search for 2020 hopefuls.

In the last half-century, the Stella Araneta-led BPCI had been sending winners, from the same pool of annual candidates, to various international pageants, including Miss Universe, Miss International, and at one point, Miss World.

Under BPCI, the country produced four Miss Universe winners — Gloria Diaz in 1969, Margarita Moran in 1973, Pia Wurtzbach in 2015, and Catriona Gray in 2018 — nine runners-up, and ten top 20 finishes.