The Miss Universe PH 2026 National Costume competition held last Thursday, April 16 at the Urdaneta City Cultural and Sports Center in Pangasinan announced six (6) winning pieces in a grand showcase of unique Filipino culture and tradition.
A staple pre-coronation night event, this year’s competition picked Baguio City (Roxanne Baeyens), Iloilo Province (Nicklyn Jutay), Negros Occidental (Alex Colmenares), Pampanga (Allyson Hetland), Pangasinan (Donna Rein Nuguid), and Tacloban City (Jacqueline Gulrajani) – in no particular order.
Who their designers are, and what these creations reflect and pay homage to, in the #special feature below.
Roxanne Baeyens (BAGUIO CITY)
“BURNHAM LAKE”
Designer: Ehhran Montoya
Baguio City’s Roxanne Allison Baeyens (more commonly known by her television name Roxie Smith) graced the MUPH stage donning an elaborate Ehrran Montoya creation that brought Burnham Park’s ever-iconic swan boats to Urdaneta, Pangasinan.
White feathered swans perch on her headpiece and sleeves; 3D embellishments in moss-green flare out of her mermaid skirt; and a statement prop resembling a paddle or an oar tasseled with an Igorot-patterned textile – all packed in Montoya’s creative reflection of the “serene beauty” of Baguio City.
“A tribute to beauty, courage, and the strength of a community,” Baeyens said in an Instagram post.
Nicklyn Jutay (ILOILO PROVINCE)
“THE PEARL OF PANAY”
Designer: Al Manases Alcoran
The “Pearl of Panay” was Iloilo Province pride Nicklyn Jutay’s ode to the Angel Wing Clam, locally called the ‘diwal.’ Designed by Ilonggo artist Al Manases Alcoran, the silky white and gold ensemble derives inspiration from the highly prized and seasonal shellfish known for its sweet and tender meat, and uniquely shaped shell.
Jutay’s shell-studded national costume quite literally showcases the Ilonggo delicacy in every way possible. The highlight is the backdress within which an image of a diwal-offering angel awaits to reveal itself. When opened fully, it appears as an angel’s clam-textured wing glowing in glittery gold.
“They say the world is your oyster, but some are born to be the pearl within the Angel Wings,” wrote the MUPH Iloilo Province in its official Instagram account.
Alex Colmenares (NEGROS OCC.)
“PROUDLY NEGROS MADE”
Designer: Ruffy Itaas
Miss Universe Negros Occidental Alex Colmenares wore Ruffy Itaas’ work of art that honors Negros Occidental’s “thriving sardine industry while highlighting its coastal life and hardworking fishermen.”
The look is simultaneously straightforward and striking, headlined by an unmissable sardine can labelled “Negrense Goods” that encapsulates Colmenares, but opens in half to reveal the rest of the piece: a shimmering bodice with Filipiniana sleeves, a tailored trouser base embellished with elements of the sardine fish, and a huge “Abanse Negrense” text.
“More than a costume, it is a tribute to the pride, creativity, and identity of Negros Occidental,” said Colmenares on Instagram.
Allyson Hetland (PAMPANGA)
“LIBAD/FLUVIAL PARADE”
Designer: Sai Macapagal
Pampanga’s Allyson Hetland was a pageant-walking fluvial procession during the National Costume competition. She wore a Sai Macapagal masterpiece designed after the Libad Festival– Apalit, Pampanga’s 182-year-old fluvial festivity.
Hetland wore a classic and layered Filipiniana gown that looks exactly like what traditional devotees in the past would wear during the fluvial parade. Waves of blue flow elaborately on top of the skirt to recreate the Pampanga River, with all accessories head-to-toe intended to showcase the province’s iconic giant lanterns.
The religious tradition– one of Pampanga’s most famous– honors Saint Peter the Apostle, or ‘Apung Iru’ as Kapampangan locals call him, who’s considered as the patron saint of fishermen and Apalit, Pampanga.
Donna Rein Nuguid (Pangasinan)
“Aman Sinaya”
Designer: Thonette De Ocampo
Pangasinan bet Donna Rein Nuguid impressed on home court with a strong-looking national costume depicting Aman Sinaya, the benevolent sea goddess in ancient Tagalog mythology.
In keeping with the competition’s ‘water’ motif, designer Thonette De Ocampo infused her evocative piece with unmistakably marine-inspired elements in ombré hues of white and deep blue – from the specks of pearls and crystals across the costume, to the loudly sculpted waves that give the skirt its tidal shape.
“Accented with radiant gold and ethereal details, [she] embodies a Filipina who is both gentle and powerful– honoring the heritage, protecting the environment, and carrying the spirit of the ocean with grace and strength,” wrote Nuguid on Instagram.
Jacqueline Gulrajani (TACLOBAN CITY)
“WAVES OF COURAGE, HEART OF HOPE”
Designer: Charlotte Rodriguez
Jacqueline Gulrajani of Tacloban City wore a Charlotte Rodriguez obra that is an homage to the City of Tacloban, particularly the victims of the disastrous Super Typhoon Yolanda that swept across Gulrajani’s hometown and affected no less than 16 million people in 2013.
The headpiece mimicks the storm’s eye layered with crystal droplets and lightning bolts. From the bodice’s fractured patterns to the image of the Yolanda Shrine (MV Eva Jocelyn), Gulrajani wore an immortalized story of “unshaken spirit and undefeated heart.”
Midway her walk routine, she toggled a dramatic skit that breathed life into the tragic images found across her skirt, as if lending voice to victims whose grief was the focal point of the symbolic national costume.
