Dia Mate to crown Reina Hispanoamericana successor in Bolivia Feb. 21

January 18 ------ Dia Mate‘s yearlong reign as Reina Hispanoamericana will conclude next month, with the new queen set to be crowned at the end of the competition in Bolivia in February

Organizers of the international pageant announced the 2026 schedule on social media on Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 14, about a couple of weeks before the candidates are expected to arrive in Santa Cruz. “The excitement returns with a new edition of Reina Hispanoamericana 2026, which will be held from February 05 to 22, [2026] in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, bringing together candidates from different countries in a great celebration of culture, beauty, and [sisterhood],” the post said.

The “Gran Final” (Grand Final) is scheduled on Feb. 21 (22 in Manila), where Mate will pass her crown to her successor at the end of the competition.

Mate became the second Filipino woman to be crowned Rena Hispanoamericana in last year’s competition. Actress Teresita Ssen “Winwyn” Marquez posted the Philippines’ first victory in 2017, as the first-ever Asian participant in the pageant’s history. Representing the Philippines this year, and out on a mission to post a second consecutive win for the country, is seasoned pageant queen Francesca Beatriz Mclelland. She earned her ticket to the international competition at the 2025 Miss Grand International Philippines pageant held in August last year. But this will not be the first time that she will be representing the country in a global tilt.

In 2020, at just 18 years old, she competed at the Miss Teen International pageant in India, where she received the Miss Teen Intercontinental title. In 2022, she flew to Egypt for the Miss Eco Teen International pageant, where she finished as first runner-up.

Mclelland had been vocal about her desire to compete in the Reina Hispanoamericana pageant during the national competition, notwithstanding the tough task of succeeding Mate. But her back-to-back quest in Bolivia next month is not a far-fetched goal in Reina Hispanoamericana, where Mexico and Peru posted consecutive wins prior to Mate’s coronation.

Mexican queen Regina Peredo relinquished her crown to her compatriot Andrea Bazarte in 2021. In 2023, Maricielo Gamarra inherited the title from her fellow Peruvian Ariette Rujel. Bolivia, Reina Hispanoamericana’s home country, was the first country to post a second consecutive win in the international pageant, with 1998 winner Susana Barrientos crowning Jenny Vaca Paz.

Source: inquirer.net