Born on February 22, 1991 to a former commercial model and flight attendant father and a former model and senior bank manager mother, Maria Mika Maxine Medina is a freelance Interior Designer, a TV, print and runway model prior to her joining the Binibining Pilipinas Pageant this year.

A doting tita and a loving sister, Maxine is very close to her sister and loves to be with kids. She also loves the outdoors and the beach and would try all types of outdoor activities.

Maxine is not the only beauty queen in the family. Her aunt, Gem Padilla-Thomas, a fashion model who won as Binibining Pilipinas Universe in 1990. Maxine is currently in a relationship with actor and model Marx Topacio and they’ve been in a steady relationship for five years now.

The 5’8” feet tall 25-year-old beauty from Quezon City made it to the list of Binibining Pilipinas candidates last 2012 but was disqualified because of a conflict with her existing endorsement contract at that time. Three years later, after some prodding and convincing from industry people like Direk Jeff Jeturian who discovered her, Maxine joined the pageant this year.

Much to the elation of many pageant followers, being one of the crowd favorites to win the title since the start of the competition, Maxine bested 40 other beautiful binibinis and became the lucky girl to whom Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach turned-over the most coveted Binibining Pilipinas Universe crown into.

Although Maxine is aware of the pressure that comes with representing the Philippines at the Ms. Universe 2016 pageant, with Pia winning the title last year, she will make sure that she will enjoy and also give her best at the competition. So it’s more training, fulfilling her Binibining Pilipinas Universe duties, learning and more training in the coming days for her.