Miss Universe Philippines 2026: Top Favorites to Watch
The Miss Universe Philippines 2026 Coronation Night is set for Saturday, May 2, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. With several strong contenders, fans are eager to see who will be crowned the new queen. Here are the top favorites based on performance and pageant track records.
Bella Ysmael, 29 (Taguig)
Bella was the 1st runner-up to Rabiya Mateo in Miss Universe Philippines 2020. She is the niece of Miss Universe 1973 Margie Moran and granddaughter of actress Marita Zobel. Based on swimsuit and voting results, Bella has one of the highest scores in the final tally.
Bea Millan-Windorski, 24 (La Union)
The Filipino-American beauty queen is one of the best-performing delegates this year. Bea is a fan favorite to win due to her international pageant experience as Miss Earth USA 2024 and Miss Earth Water 2024.
Nicole Borromeo, 25 (Cebu Province)
Nicole boasts an impressive track record as 2022 Binibining Pilipinas International and 2023 Miss International 3rd runner-up. She also won the 2019 Sinulog Festival Queen and 2019 Reyna ng Aliwan.
Apriel Smith, 29 (Cebu City)
Apriel is another Cebu contender who competed in Miss Universe Philippines 2020 (top 16) and Binibining Pilipinas 2016 (Top 15). She won Binibining Cebu in 2017. Pageant observers note that Apriel and Nicole Borromeo have been strong contenders since day one.
Jacqueline Gulrajani, 31 (Tacloban)
The Filipina-Indian beauty queen, TV host, and actress graduated from the University of the Philippines and is known for her eloquence. She is expected to excel in the Q&A round. Several analysts place Jacqueline in the Top 3 based on critical rounds and closed-door interviews.
Roxie Baeyens, 29 (Baguio)
Roxie, known on screen as Roxie Smith, is a talent under Cornerstone Entertainment and GMA Sparkle. She was the 2020 Miss Philippines Earth and represented the Philippines in Miss Earth 2020, where she was named Miss Earth Water.
Who will take the crown? Tune in to the coronation night to find out. Photos from Instagram.
