Miss Universe Philippines 2026 bets glam up ahead of prelims voting

March 17 ------ More than a week before the Miss Universe Philippines pageant is set to hold its reinvention of the preliminary competition for the 2026 edition, the delegates have brought out finals-worthy ensembles for the evening gown showcase.

The national pageant’s social media pages released the evening gown images of the 51 delegates in this year’s competition on Sunday evening, March 15. As in the headshot and swimsuit showcases, the ladies’ images were again edited using artificial intelligence to make it appear as though the candidates were in motion. A kaleidoscope of colors, silhouettes, and styles greeted excited pageant fans with the display of Filipino fashion creativity and the delegates’ showcase of elegance.

Cebu Province’s Nicole Borromeo brought in the beads with an embellished blue ensemble accentuated with ruffles, while Cebu City’s Apriel Smith was stylish in solihiya-patterned fabric masterfully manipulated to create a short yet voluminous look. Capes with ruffles or feathers are still not about to rest this season, with many delegates opting for coverage, including Jenrose Javier of Sultan Kudarat and Ashley Subijano of Luisiana, Laguna.

Tarlac’s Marian Arellano and Cotabato’s Clarissa Westram donned the classic serpentine silhouette, while Allyson Hetland of Pampanga and Rachel Hanna Gozum of Santo Tomas, La Union, opted for unconventional ensembles. Adela-Mae Marshall of Muntinlupa City, Alexandra Krishna Oriño of Albay, and Alicia Buendia of Rizal blinged up their game in fully embellished yellow, pink, and turquoise gowns, respectively.

But for veterans Ysabella Ysmael of Taguig City and Roxie Baeyens of Baguio, elegance need not be loud, and sophistication requires the simplest of styles. The two donned pieces in timeless pieces devoid of any beads, crystals, or cutouts. And while the ladies may have brought out showstopping ensembles this early, fans are already expecting them to level up for the closed-door preliminary competition that will be filmed before the end of the month.

This year, the Miss Universe Philippines Organization (MUPH) is seeking to revolutionize the national pageant scene with a revamped format, wherein the preliminary competition will be held more than a month before the finals. Ladies will advance in stages through voting via a dedicated portal through Maya. Those who will top the evening gown poll from April 5 to 11 will move to the swimsuit voting from April 12 to 18. And then the leaders in the second round will move to the interview voting from April 19 to 25.

Source: inquirer.net