Watch for These Notable Contestants in Miss Universe Philippines 2026
Pageant season is upon us once more after the Miss Universe Philippines organization recently unveiled the queens competing at the 2026 Miss Universe Philippines pageant. Over the next few months, more than 50 delegates will show off their beauty, intelligence, determination, personality, advocacies, and more as they vie for the title of Miss Universe Philippines and represent the country in the 75th edition of Miss Universe, which will be held in Puerto Rico this November.
This year, what makes the competition different is the organization introducing a new format where fans have a greater say in the queens they want to win. The preliminary rounds of Evening Gown, Swimsuit, and Closed-Door Interview will be done in stages and will be open to voting. The queens who make the cut-off based on public vote will move on to the next rounds before it culminates in the grand coronation night.
Among the contestants vying for the crown are a handful of notable names that some may be familiar with, given their past pageantry, modeling, social media, and entertainment experiences. MUPH 2026 isn’t their first rodeo, and they hope to use their resumes to help them take the win. While the competition can go any way as the months go by, these are the early contestants we have our eye on.
RELATED: The Misstep that Made Ahtisa Manalo Miss Universe Philippines 2025
Justine Felizarta – Miss Universe Philippines 2026 Manila
They say if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. Such is the case for Justine Felizarta, who is representing Manila. She’s competed in multiple national pageants, and most notably competed in Miss World Philippines 2022. She received the title of Miss World Philippines-Tourism and represented the country at Miss Tourism World 2022, where she finished 1st runner-up.
Bella Ysmael – Miss Universe Philippines 2026 Taguig
Bella Ysmael almost had her Miss Universe Philippines moment when she finished in the Top 2 of its inaugural edition in 2020, ultimately losing to Rabiya Mateo. Now, the granddaughter of actress Marita Zobel and niece of Miss Universe 1973 Margie Moran is back on the national pageant stage after six years to finish the job as she represents Taguig.
Adela-Mae Marshall – Miss Universe Philippines 2026 Muntinlupa City
If her name sounds familiar, that’s because Adela-Mae Marshall is a former contestant on Asia’s Next Top Model. The Filipino-British model competed on the show’s sixth season, the same season as fellow Filipina model Jachin Manere, and ended her run as a runner-up. Now, Adela is taking her years of modeling work and experience to the pageant stage as Muntinlupa City’s representative to Miss Universe Philippines 2026. Also, Adela is now the second ANTM Filipina alumna to compete in Miss Universe Philippines, following season five winner Maureen Wroblewitz’s 1st runner-up placement in 2021.
Nicole Borromeo – Miss Universe Philippines 2026 Cebu Province
This year, Cebu Province will be represented by a pageant veteran, Nicole Borromeo. After stints in local pageants such as Miss Silka Cebu and Miss Silka Philippines 2017, Nicole made the jump to the national stage when she competed in Miss Teen Philippines 2019, where she secured 2nd runner-up behind future Miss Grand Philippines winner Nikki de Moura. Three years later, Nicole competed in and won Binibining Pilipinas International 2022, and ultimately placed 3rd runner-up at Miss International 2023.
Roxie Smith – Miss Universe Philippines 2026 Baguio
Roxie Smith may be known more for her acting work on TV these days as an artist under Sparkle, but she’s no stranger to the pageant world. Before she became an actress, she was a beauty queen who competed in and won Miss Earth Philippines 2020. She went on to represent the country at Miss Earth 2020, where she ultimately was given the title of Miss Earth Water 2020. Six years later, she’s back on the pageant stage representing Baguio City once more as she competes for the Miss Universe Philippines 2026 crown.
Ashley Subijano – Miss Universe Philippines 2026 Luisiana, Laguna
The daughter of former TV host Hans Montenegro and Binibining Pilipinas-World 1994 Cara Subijano, Ashley Subijano first made waves in the pageant scene when she competed in the Miss World Philippines 2022 competition. There, she won the Miss Eco Philippines crown and later competed at Miss Eco International, where she finished in the Top 21. Also, the Luisiana, Laguna representative will be competing once more against her Miss World Philippines 2022 sister, Justine Felizarta.
Bea Windorski – Miss Universe Philippines 2026 La Union
Bea Windorsk’s pageant journey first began in the US when, at just 21 years old, she made history as the first Filipino-American to win Miss Earth USA in 2024. She would later compete at Miss Earth 2024, where she was named Miss Earth Water. Now, the Filipino-American queen is back in the Philippines, this time representing her home of La Union at Miss Universe Philippines 2026.
Jayka Noelle – Miss Universe Philippines 2026 San Jose, Negros Oriental, and the Filipino Society of Bellevue, Washington
For a dose of nostalgia, Jayka Noelle may be a familiar face to many millennials and Gen Z, as she was a former cast member of the popularKids React andTeens React YouTube series. In the years since, she has parlayed her YouTube success into being a content creator, having over 200,000 followers on her Instagram and TikTok pages. Now, she’s set her sights on pagentry as she competes in Miss Universe Philippines 2026.
Imelda Schweighart – Miss Universe Philippines 2026 Aklan
Back in 2013, Imelda Schweighart competed at Binibining Pilipinas 2013, where she finished as one of the Top 15 finalists. Then, in 2016, she got her winning moment when she was crowned Miss Philippines Earth 2016. Ten years later, the pageant queen, host, and actress now aims for the Miss Universe Philippines crown, representing Aklan.
Apriel Smith – Miss Universe Philippines 2026 Cebu City
Another Miss Universe Philippines 2020 alumna is back in action. Apriel Smith first made her mark on the national pageant stage as the first-ever title holder of the Binibining Cebu crown in 2017. In 2020, the morena beauty then competed in the first edition of the Miss Universe Philippines pageant, ending her run in the Top 16.
Featured Image and Photos: MISS UNIVERSE PHILIPPINES, JUSTINE FELIZARTA (via Instagram), THE CAMP (via Instagram), ADELA-MAE MARSHALL (via Instagram), NICOLE BORROMEO (via Instagram), ROXIE SMITH (via Instagram), ASHLEY SUBIJANO (via Instagram), BEA WINDORSKI (via Instagram), JAYKA NOELLE (via Instagram), PHOTOBYJHP (via Instagram), APRIEL SMITH (via Instagram)
The post Watch for These Notable Contestants in Miss Universe Philippines 2026 first appeared on MEGA.
Watch for These Notable Contestants in Miss Universe Philippines 2026
Trending Updates Central
No comments: