ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Entertainment devider Celebrities devider Miss Universe Philippines 2026 reveals 51 candidates, expands public voting

Miss Universe Philippines 2026 reveals 51 candidates, expands public voting

Published Feb 17, 2026 11:49 pm

The search for the next Filipina Miss Universe officially kicked off as 51 candidates vying for the Miss Universe Philippines 2026 crown were formally presented yesterday at the Grand Ballroom of City of Dreams Manila.

Wearing coordinated pink and red ensembles to reflect the period between Valentine’s Day and Chinese New Year, the candidates made their first collective appearance before members of the media, pageant partners, and fans.

Miss Universe Philippines 2026 candidates with Miss Universe 2025 3rd runner-up Ahtisa Manalo (center) - Photo by Melvin Sia
Miss Universe Philippines 2026 candidates with Miss Universe 2025 3rd runner-up Ahtisa Manalo (center) - Photo by Melvin Sia

Prior to the indoor presentation, the delegates kicked off the festivities with a parade around the SM Mall of Asia complex, delighting pageant followers who gathered for an early glimpse of this year’s aspirants.

Miss Universe Philippines officials also announced key updates for the 2026 edition, including the confirmation of Misamis Occidental as the official host province and local government partner. Pangasinan was also announced as the venue for the 2026 national costume competition.

New selection format

Miss Universe Philippines Vice President Voltaire Tayag said the organization is introducing a revamped selection process to increase transparency and public participation throughout the competition.“We are introducing a new selection format that is intended to rally public support for the delegates, while also showcasing transparency every step of the way,” Tayag said. “We are bringing the journey closer to Filipinos by allowing them to have a significant say in every stage of the pageant up to the semifinals.”

Under the new system, major preliminary segments - including the evening gown, swimsuit, and closed-door interview - will be filmed and recorded in March. These materials will then be released weekly as part of a multi-round public voting process.

Starting April 5, the competition will roll out its first preliminary week with the evening gown segment, marking an earlier and more sustained evaluation period for the candidates.

All of the videos and photos will be released weekly through the different segments in every round,” Tayag said, noting that candidates are expected to remain at peak form as early as March. He added that designers were asked to complete their creations earlier than usual due to the adjusted timeline.
From left: Miss Tarlac, Miss Pampanga, and Miss La Union at the press presentation (Annalyn Jusay)
From left: Miss Tarlac, Miss Pampanga, and Miss La Union at the press presentation (Annalyn Jusay)

At the end of each voting period, a select number of delegates will advance to the next round, beginning with the swimsuit segment. Advancement will be determined through a combination of public votes via Maya app and selections made by the judging panel.

Candidates who do not advance through public voting will continue to participate in official events and provincial tours throughout April. Tayag stressed that delegates still have chances to move forward through selection panel choices, brand awards, and wildcard slots to be announced during the finals.

A new interactive feature will also be introduced during coronation night, allowing registered viewers to vote in real time as the candidates take the stage.

“Every moment matters. Every vote counts,” Tayag said. “Every stage of the competition is an opportunity to showcase your best.”

Showdown of pageant veterans

This year’s competition is also shaping up to be a "puksaan"  with several seasoned pageant veterans joining the roster.

Among the candidates are Ysabella Ysmael of Taguig City, MUPH 2020 first runner-up; Apriel Smith of Cebu City, MUPH 2020 Top 16 finalist; Miss Earth-Water titleholders Bea Millan-Windorski of La Union and Roxie Baeyens of Baguio City; Nicole Borromeo, who finished as third runner-up at Miss International 2023; Justine Felizarta of Manila, first runner-up at Miss Tourism World 2023; Ashley Subijano of Luisiana, Laguna, a Miss Eco International 2023 semifinalist; and Imelda Schweighart of Kalibo, Aklan, a resigned former Miss Philippines-Earth 2016.

Miss Universe Philippines officials led by CEO Jonas Gaffud (center) with Miss Universe 2025 3rd runner-up Ahtisa Manalo. (Annalyn Jusay)
Miss Universe Philippines officials led by CEO Jonas Gaffud (center) with Miss Universe 2025 3rd runner-up Ahtisa Manalo. (Annalyn Jusay)

Here's the complete list of Miss Universe Philippines 2026 candidates and the provinces they represent:

Albay – Alexandra Krishna Orino

Bacolod City – Megan Larisse Baldevia

Bacoor City – Felicia Fran Aldana

Baguio City – Roxie Baeyens

Batangas – Kathleen Dale Casenas

Cabanatuan City (Filipino Society of Alberta, Canada) – Princess Kyla Hernandez

Camiguin – Erica Jean Cadayday

Cavite – Jencel Cana

Cebu City – Apriel Smith

Cebu Province – Nicole Borromeo

Cotabato – Clarissa Westram

Dasmariñas City – Tyra Jane Godino

Iligan City – Trexy Paris Roxas

Ilocos Norte (Filipino Society of Hawaii) – Charieze Lianne Cacayorin

Iloilo City – Zestah Espinosa

Iloilo Province – Nicklyn Jutay

Isabela – Prima Joy Alamban

Kalibo, Aklan – Imelda Schweighart

Laguna – Ysabel Cecilia Prats

Las Piñas (Filipino Society of Florida) – Avegail Eusebio Kultsar

La Union – Bea Millan-Windorski

Leyte – Kareyl May Cabahug

Los Baños, Laguna – Scarlett de Mesa

Luisiana, Laguna – Ashley Victoria Subijano

Manila – Justin Beatrice Dellosa Felizarta

Mountain Province – Lyneree Montero-Yodong

Muntinlupa – Adela Mae Marshall

Negros Occidental – Alexandria Colmenares

Negros Oriental – Ma. Fatima Alsowyed

Nueva Ecija (Filipino Society of the United Kingdom) – Michelle Tantoco Burchell

Nueva Vizcaya (Filipino Society of Washington) – Jacqueline Aluning

Occidental Mindoro – Neil Silva

Palawan – Aviona Dass

Pampanga – Allyson Hetland

Pangasinan – Donna Rein Nuguid

Parañaque (Filipino Society of Los Angeles) – Maria Pauline Galvez

Pateros – Kristen Joy Marcelino

Quezon Province (Filipino Society of Australia) – Patricia Ella Evangelista

Rizal (Filipino Society of Southern California) – Alicia Chelsea Buendia

Samar Island – Catherine Wardle

San Carlos City – Rose Ann Albania

San Jose, Negros Oriental (Filipino Society of Bellevue, Washington) – Jayka Noelle Munsayac

Santo Tomas, La Union (Filipino Society of Seattle, Washington) – Rachel Hanna Gozum

Sarangani (Filipino Society of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) – Nicole Cruz

Southern Leyte – Renee Rose Patual

Sultan Kudarat – Jenrose Javier

Taal, Batangas (Filipino Society of Northern California) – Juliana Hope Aquino

Tacloban City – Jacqueline Gulrajani

Taguig – Maria Ysabella R. Ysmael

Tandag City – Chrystel Mae Correos

Tarlac – Marian ArellanoTuguegarao City - Janica Francen Aquino

Tuguegarao City - Janica Francen Aquino
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.