Jhoanna wears a LOUIS VUITTON jacket, top, and skirt. Photographed by Renzo Navarro for the November 2024 Issue of Vogue Philippines
Central to BINI’s chemistry is a bond akin to sisterhood. For leader Jhoanna Robles, the girl group has also become her family.
Somewhere in Calamba, Laguna, there is a home alive with laughter and a family that bonds like friends. Among them is Jhoanna Robles, the leader, lead vocal, and lead rapper of the P-Pop girl group BINI.
Last June, BINI held their first solo concert at the New Frontier Theater, exactly three years after their official debut. The days leading up to the milestone event were filled with relentless rehearsals and, naturally, a lot of nerves. Many artists have their own ways of shaking off pre-show jitters. For Jhoanna, the key was to spend time with her family.
In a viral TikTok posted a few days before the concert, Jhoanna shows a long table packed with over a dozen of her loved ones. She captures each of them smiling, striking poses, bowing their heads in unison for a prayer, and then breaking into playful hugs afterward. The clip reveals a screenshot of a message she received prior, which reads, “Let’s have dinner so you can relax before the show.”
While she is an only child, Jhoanna grew up constantly surrounded by loved ones. Even in her apartment in the city, “the whole Robles clan is there. Even if we can’t all fit, we’re there. We eat together, even if it’s just a normal dinner, even if there’s no occasion,” she shares. “That’s how we are. We’ll drop everything to be with each other.”
“If my family hasn’t changed and the girls [BINI] haven’t given up, why should I?”
In many ways, the members of BINI have also become Robles’ family. On set for their first Vogue Philippines shoot, the girls display a closeness akin to sisterhood, where they pick up on each other’s inside jokes and sneak bites of each other’s snacks. When asked if there’s one member she feels closest to, she finds the question nearly impossible to answer; each relationship is different. Hearing this, BINI’s road manager, Maan Manauis, jumps in with a laugh. “Jhoanna’s like a road manager herself,” she teases in Tagalog. “She keeps tabs on everyone.”
Besides being BINI’s leader, the 20-year-old has pursued many of her personal interests. In between her busy group schedules, she somehow managed to star in music videos, make her theatre debut, and fulfill yet another one of her childhood dreams by becoming a guest news anchor for ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol Express, both in April and October this year. When asked where she draws her strength in moments of exhaustion, her answer was immediate: “My family and BINI.”
If her family remains unchanged and the girls haven’t given up, “Why should I?” Jhoanna says.
Unlike K-pop’s polished image of an “idol,” BINI’s success thus far shows that Filipino audiences are drawn to authenticity. In an era of hyper-curation, the nation’s girl group has found the sweet spot: connecting with fans by staying true to themselves. “There’s no difference,” Jhoanna says with a smile. “Who I am on and off stage is completely the same.”
YOU CAN SIT WITH US
By BIANCA CUSTODIO. Cover Story by GABY GLORIA. Photographs by RENZO NAVARRO. Fashion Director PAM QUIÑONES. Beauty Editor JOYCE OREÑA. Fashion Editor DAVID MILAN. Makeup: Carell Garcia, Julius Cabanisas, Mark Qua, Theresa Padin. Hair: Bill Watson and Cherry Reyes of Toni &Guy. Art Director: Jann Pascua. Production Design: Justine Bumanlag. Executive Producer: Anz Hizon. Associate Producer: Bianca Zaragoza. Beauty Writer: Bianca Custodio. Nails: Extraordinail. Digital Associate Editor: Chelsea Sarabia. Digital Content Writer: Daphne Sagun. Multimedia Artist: Tinkerbell Poblete. Photographer’s Assistant: Alexis Wang, Dominic Pamatmat. Stylist’s Assistants: Neil de Guzman, Ticia Almazan. Hair Assistants: Glenda Eugenio, John Al-rey Valencia, Lindsay Agapito, Noel Muncada. Production Design Assistants: Gabrielle Mantala, Geber Cunanan, Jan Abal, Jonel Navarro, Olderico Bondoc. Shot on location at Balara Content Studio.
