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Miss Universe Philippines' Sixth Anniversary

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<div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:959px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756622389988Miss_Universe_PH_MetroStyle (3).jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">MUPh 2025 Ma. Ahtisa Manalo</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>In as fast as six years, <strong>Miss Universe Philippines </strong>(MUPh) has cemented itself as both a leader in local pageantry and a champion of women empowerment. While it has also sparked widespread attention and thoughtful discussion among those who question the necessity of beauty competitions, what most do not know is the story behind MUPh and how timing contributed to where it is right now—the biggest platform empowering Filipinos wherever they are in the world.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>A powerful kickoff</strong></div><p>Every brand that has come to thrive over time almost always begins with a humble, sometimes harrowing start, and Miss Universe Philippines shares a story that proves just as inspiring.</p><p>In 2019, the <strong>Miss Universe Organization</strong> (MUO) wanted to elevate the Miss Universe brand in the Philippines, a country where its influence and market presence were among the strongest in the world. MUO wanted a more focused body that aimed to understand the growing audience further and maximize their engagement.</p><p>The people who launched the Miss Universe Philippines brand in 2019 formed a casting coup. <strong>Lia Ramos</strong>, a former Miss Universe Philippines herself, engaging in meaningful charity work, became Head of Charity. <strong>Attorney Nad Bronce</strong>, an accomplished lawyer responsible for training top beauty queens in their Q&amp;A, became Head of Legal. <strong>Albert Andrada</strong>, a decorated fashion designer, became Head of Fashion. Former MUPh titleholders<strong> Shamcey Supsup</strong> and <strong>Ara Arida</strong>, both finishing in the top 5 of the Miss Universe pageant, became its National Directors. <strong>Florente Garcia</strong>, a senior marketing manager with experience in top multinational brands in the country, became its Marketing Head. <strong>Voltaire Tayag</strong>, a journalist covering the pageantry scene for many years, became Head of Communications before taking on the Executive Vice President role. Finally, veteran queen maker and talent developer <strong>Jonas Gaffud</strong> became its President.</p><p>Embarking on an exciting journey ahead, the newly formed MUPh team then set up three pillars: <strong>Beautiful Transformations</strong>, by encouraging Filipinas to realize their full potential and inspiring others to do the same; <strong>Beyond the Coastlines</strong>, by highlighting the beauty of the Philippines and its people; and <strong>Charity</strong>, by creating tangible changes for the community and country.</p><p>The new MUPh team’s goal was clear. They needed to understand the challenges the aspiring beauty queens faced—their dreams and motivations that fueled their journeys. They worked on translating this understanding to better stories that could appeal to and influence an entire nation of pageant fans.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756622566451Miss_Universe_PH_MetroStyle (4).jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">MUPh board members</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>The first real ‘test’</strong></div><p>The then-budding MUPh team met a tough first challenge—the global pandemic, which forced lockdowns just a month after the first MUPh press presentation. Strict health protocols made it difficult to conduct photo shoots and activities necessary for promoting beauty queens. Brands were spending less on advertising and marketing, providing another hurdle as the brand conducts a rebranding, among other changes.</p><p>Nevertheless, the quarantine proved to be only a workable hindrance when it came to staging the Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Finale. To do this, the MUPh team sought the Inter-Agency Task Force’s approval to record the event in a closed set. With zero ticket sales, no live audiences, and a few reschedules, the team finally staged the finals on October 25, 2020 at the Cordillera Convention Hall in Baguio City. The Philippines was one of only two local Miss Universe franchises to do so in the world, with Thailand as the other one.</p><p>With COVID still a pandemic then, MUPh only saw more challenges to conquer in the following year. The 2021 pageant marked the first time for potential candidates to be screened via Zoom—a major shift from the usual in-person castings done in Metro Manila. The team further amplified its digital efforts by creating social media buzz and releasing high-quality promo videos for its initial host provinces, Baguio and Bohol. </p><p>“Against unfamiliar struggles, MUPh welcomed a more than positive response,” said Miss Universe Philippines President Jonas Gaffud. “We saw more and more young women turning in their applications online. Neighboring provinces eagerly expressed interest in hosting future MUPh contests. The response and result of this innovative screening were phenomenal.”</p><p>“Most companies were very conservative in their spending for marketing, advertising, and promotions during the pandemic. Despite that, they saw real value in how we were still able to create inspiration for Filipinos during that time. We were so grateful that the sponsors continued to support in a big way,” Vice President for Business Development &amp; Marketing Florente Garcia added.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756622968808Miss_Universe_PH_MetroStyle.png" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756623269888Miss_Universe_PH_MetroStyle (1).jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>MUPH on a mission</strong></div><p>From a business standpoint, there was nowhere but up for MUPh in the years that followed. MUPh started seeing its goal of elevating Philippine pageantry finally realized. They, too, were gradually developing the brand into a full-blown business.</p><p>“The digital efforts and innovations of MUPh set it apart from other local pageants and its international counterparts. MUPh recognized the need for a strong digital presence because of the power of social media. But it needed to do it as a response to the pandemic. What resulted were high-quality digital assets that sponsors appreciated greatly,” said Gaffud.</p><p>Year on year online, MUPh rose in the charts at 294,000 concurrent viewers in 2023, 485,000 in 2024, and a record-breaking 834,000 just this year. On the franchise’s Twitter and TikTok accounts, impressions are at least 3 billion.</p><p>All the while, the team stayed true to Miss Universe’s mission. Even in lockdown, their mantra was clear and consistent: Beauty that comes with real power. This meant harnessing the power of the people, organizations, and sponsors of the pageant who were the best in the field. It also meant that every task aligned with women empowerment.</p><p>“As someone who’s witnessed and lived through the growth of pageantry in the Philippines, I saw how MUPh revved things up en route to the digital age,” added Gaffud. “It only took a matter of time for the national pageant to reach and engage more people. Thanks to the internet, whose power was felt more during the pandemic, the impact of MUPh transcended beyond just the preliminary and coronation nights. Moreover, our queens’ stories and their advocacies got through to more Filipinos—and that, we are most proud of.”</p><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756624646462Miss_Universe_PH_MetroStyle.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756635579256Miss_Universe_PH_MetroStyle (5).JPG" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">MUPh always at the vanguard of local tourism, exposing Philippine marvels as such the Biri Rock Formation in Samar and the beaches in Eastern Visayas.</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Destiny fulfilled</strong></div><p>Real power can be used for good and extended to others. MUPh kept the live events industry afloat by creating hundreds of jobs, thereby bolstering the Philippine economy even during the crisis. When critics questioned the relevance of pageants in a pandemic, MUPh let the work speak for itself.</p><p>Every win further established MUPh as a trailblazer among its international counterparts. Before the franchise acquisition, only single women, aged 18-28, standing at or above 5’4” were allowed to compete. The brand, however, thought that more women deserved the chance at the title and removed these strict requirements from their screening process. This made MUPh more inclusive, proving women of all backgrounds can have real influence and are worthy of celebration.</p><p>MUPh queens continued to advocate for social change and charitable causes. They also embodied love for the Philippines. Rather than say it under the banner of tourism, the MUPh finalists travelled to several provinces to learn about each culture and appreciate their heritage first-hand. Outside the glitz and glamour, MUPH invited women to demonstrate exemplary character and inspires others to believe in themselves.</p><p><a href="https://metro.style/metro-style/people/2025/5/17/michelle-dee-talks-about-her-advocacy-in-time-for-asp-angels-walk-for-autism-2025-1117" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MUPh 2023 <strong>Michelle Marquez Dee</strong></a> reigned with her raw and authentic advocacy, driving passion toward autism with her own brothers diagnosed and pushing for gender equality as a queer queen herself. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CY5hrH1rIjC/?img_index=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MUPh 2021 <strong>Beatrice Luigi Gomez</strong></a><strong> </strong><strong></strong>came out as the first proudly LGBTQIA+ titleholder, showcasing beauty, brains, and brawn in diversity and self-acceptance. <a href="https://metro.style/people/digital-covers/miss-universe-ph-2024-chelsea-manalo-metro-cover/38659" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MUPh 2024 <strong>Chelsea Manalo</strong></a>, who was eventually crowned Miss Universe Philippines Asia, encouraged more people to be more appreciative of feminine power, no matter the color or race. MUPh 2025 contender and pageant veteran<strong> Chanel Olive Thomas</strong> joined the contest as a married woman in her mid-30s, diminishing age as a factor while inspiring more mature women to be more confident.</p><p>Beyond charities, MUPh also became a vehicle for boosting local tourism. Its on-location sites for shoots led to becoming a set of binoculars, as if letting more Filipinos peek into the beauty of the country’s natural resources. Among its most notable productions are the contestants against rock formations in Northern Samar (2025), beaches in Leyte (2023), and the then-newly opened Clark International Airport in Pampanga, which almost instantly shot up to the top-trending topics online.</p><p>Safe to say, the women of MUPh proved not just to be beauty queens. They are ambassadors, advocates, and warriors who consistently use their voice and image to do real work and achieve real impact. Beyond the numbers, MUPh prides itself on these living testaments of the brand’s vision. It’s through these influential women and their acts of service that we find the ultimate measure of real power and impactful changemaking.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756637764714244126275_587402102449493_2825079794975287764_n.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span aria-label="To enrich screen reader interactions, please activate Accessibility in Grammarly extension settings" class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false">MUPh 2021 Beatrice Luigi Gomez<br/><br/></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756637810692346566044_1637064443441597_677989704600549037_n.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">MUPh 2023 Michelle Marquez Dee</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756637839032452224901_18452769715054363_6362549731709745627_n (1).jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">MUPh 2024 Chelsea Manalo</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Moving forward</strong></div><p>MUPh continuously highlights real women with real issues—now maximizing the Miss Universe platform to espouse real change in the world. It’s raw and real beauty that’s making a shift and molding real power.</p><p>With its theme “Love Above All,” MUPh now works on encouraging its audiences to look at everything with love while committing to the same mission and staying anchored in one’s principles.</p><p>“MUPh remains committed to elevating the local pageant landscape by redefining the modern Filipina beauty queen—not just as a symbol of grace and intelligence, but as a catalyst for meaningful change. It will maintain its mission to foster an empowering, inclusive environment where Filipinas can thrive and lead with purpose,&quot; said Tayag.</p><p>“By loving all above all, the brand seeks to lead more Filipinas to greater heights—hoping to remain a beacon of positivity that resonates with more women and more Filipino communities across the world.&quot; </p><div><br/></div><p>Lead photo courtesy of <strong>Miss Universe Philippines</strong></p><div></div>

<p><i>Standing tall and thriving for six years and counting, MUPh proves that Filipinas can be both beautiful and powerful.</i></p>

Standing tall and thriving for six years and counting, MUPh proves that Filipinas can be both beautiful and powerful.

Metro Exclusive: Miss Universe Philippines on Setting the Stage for Women of Impact

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Metro Exclusive: Miss Universe Philippines on Setting the Stage for Women of Impact

Barry Viloria

Published Aug 31, 2025 07:00 PM PHT

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Updated Aug 31, 2025 07:05 PM PHT

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People

Miss Universe Philippines

Beatrice Luigi Gomez

Michelle Marquez Dee

Chelsea Manalo

Jonas Gaffud

Voltaire Tayag

Lia Ramos

Nad Bronce

Albert Andrada

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