Photo Courtesy: Sean Rencel Guan
EVER wondered what really defines beauty for our Miss Universe Philippines queens? Spoiler alert: it’s not just about the walk, the gown, or the perfect smile under pressure.
Fresh from the Miss Universe Philippines 2025 stage, republicasia sat down exclusively with some of the country’s reigning beauty queens for a fun, no-holds-barred Q&A. And trust us, they understood the assignment.
Joining us were Winwyn Marquez from Muntinlupa (1st Runner-Up), Chelsea Fernandez from Sultan Kudarat (Miss Cosmo Philippines 2025), Katrina Llegado from Taguig (Miss Supranational Philippines 2026), and Gabriella Mai Carballo from Cebu City (Miss Eco Philippines 2026).
From redefining beauty beyond the crowd, to opening up about their experience with failure, these queens showed us that they’re more than just glitz and glamor. Behind the sashes and stage lights are real women— vulnerable, wise, and refreshingly down-to-earth— who’ve stumbled, grown, and come out stronger.
It’s easy to get swept up in what the cameras and social media tell us is beautiful. And even easier to view these queens as picture-perfect— the very definition of society’s beauty standards.
But that’s far from the whole story.
In this Q&A, the queens got real and vulnerable, sharing the personal experiences that reshaped how they define beauty— not just for themselves, but for the people they hope to inspire.
For Winwyn Marquez— MUPH 2025’s first runner up from Muntinlupa City— beauty should not be limited to physical standards set by the society.
“Beauty should be defined by how you treat others, how you stand up for yourself, how you stand up for other people,” she said.
“In beauty pageants, usually, they look at you physically, correct? But now, it has changed. It’s how you speak, it’s how you speak your truth, it’s how you use it for good.”
For Winwyn, the Miss Universe stage is a powerful platform to reshape how people, especially women, define beauty. It’s no longer just about youth or perfection. With Miss Universe lifting its age limit, Winwyn proves that chasing dreams doesn’t come with a deadline.
“I’m just so proud that Miss Universe Philippines— this platform— it opened so [many] doors about what beautiful and beauty means talaga,” she said.
“I am a testament [to] that. I am not young, but I am young at heart. And I love how Miss Universe champions all kinds of women, all status of women. And that, for me, is what beautiful means.”
For Miss Supranational Philippines 2026, Katrina Llegado of Taguig, navigating the world of beauty is hardly unfamiliar territory.
With years of pageant experience and her own beauty brand, Katrina knows firsthand how powerful — and sometimes problematic — the concept of beauty can be.
“I come from the beauty industry also, so I have a beauty brand, and what really stands out the most sa amin is that, we want beauty to be from within, and we want beauty to be defined as something unique. Something that is not defined by others,” she shared.
Katrina believes that among all generations, Gen Z are especially vulnerable to narrow and often unrealistic beauty standards — heavily influenced by what they constantly consume on social media.
“Of course, a lot of people— especially the Gen Zs who are into social media— would scroll every night. Na “ah, I should look like this. I should fit into a certain standard,” said Katrina.
“We shouldn’t adhere to these standards. We should be able to set our own, and be able to stand up na… whatever beauty that we have, we are beautiful at our own terms.”
She also had a heartfelt message for young girls trying to find their place in a world full of filters and expectations.
“The way that you are, you’re already beautiful. You don’t have to try to fit in. That’s a message that should really be heard by everyone.”
For Gabriella Mai Carballo of Cebu City, crowned Miss Eco Philippines 2026, beauty hasn’t always been easy to navigate — especially in the demanding world of pageantry.
“Being in this industry, it’s really harsh sometimes,” she admitted. “Especially us, we’re held at a very high standard to conform to what the world thinks is beautiful.”
But with age came clarity.
“I think now that I’m 26, my answer is very different,” she said. “It’s really and truly embracing your individuality.”
Throughout her journey, Gabriella faced pressure to change her appearance just to fit in.
“So many people told me, ‘Go get plastic surgery on this, get veneers, get your boobs done,’ and all that,” she shared. “But one thing that is important to me is that the woman that I represented on stage is who I was meant to be, who I was born to be.”
To her, beauty is no longer about meeting expectations — it’s about standing firm in your own skin. And this is what she wanted to share with all the young girls.
Now, Gabriella wants to share that message with young girls:
“I think that’s what I want to tell all the young girls too. You don’t have to change an aspect of yourself just to win,” she said.
“And I really think that when you feel super confident with who you are, it really shows on stage. If you guys watched my performance at all, I was clearly having the best time of my life.”
For Gabriella, it was about aligning her unique gifts with her purpose.
“And that’s because I know all the skills that I’ve been given, the gifts that I’ve been given, they really all lined up for me to be there. And it’s just finding where all your skills belong.”
For Miss Cosmo Philippines 2026, Chelsea Fernandez from Sultan Kudarat, beauty is something deeply personal — and often, emotional.
Despite her accomplishments, Chelsea candidly admitted that self-doubt still lingers from time to time.
“Even myself… I have so many insecurities,” Chelsea shared.
This may come as a surprise to many, especially considering her striking features— pretty eyes, fair skin, and full, perfectly shaped lips— that fit the traditional standards of beauty.
Chelsea also shared how her cousins, who look up to her, have confessed that they felt insecure around her.
“I also have a lot of girl cousins who really looked up to me so much. And I realized that sometimes, they feel so insecure about me,” she said.
“And I was kind of sad to learn about it because when you look up to someone, it means that you’re idolizing them. But in their case, I was kinda sad to know that they want to be like me.”
What Chelsea means is that, as much as she has always tried to be a role model for her younger cousins, it saddened her to find out that their admiration for her came with the pressure to live up to the same beauty standards she has been associated with.
They, too, seemed to feel the weight of trying to look or be like her, reflecting the deeper challenges of meeting societal expectations of beauty—expectations that sometimes even those closest to her find hard to escape.
“I tell them that, you know, we should not listen to the noises about the beauty standard. We are beautiful the way we are. And we should always—always— accept and embrace our natural selves. That is the message I really want to share to everybody,” said Chelsea.
Let’s talk about failure.
Because yes— beauty queens are not immune to it. They stumble… and they are also the first to admit it.
For these queens, failure is not the end of their dreams, but rather a part of the process, a road block that they just need to learn from.
For Winwyn Marquez, failure doesn’t really exist.
Not because she’s never stumbled, but because she chooses to see every setback as a chance to grow.
“You know what, I always have this in mind — you win some, and you learn some. There’s no such thing as losing,” she shared.
“I’ve experienced winning, I’ve experienced learning. I’ve experienced everything in life, in between.”
Having joined several pageants in the past, Winwyn knows that not every attempt ends with a crown. But for her, that’s not the point.
“The most important thing is you do good with the platform that you have,” she said.
“And even if I’m just first runner-up— well, it’s not just— I’m first runner-up. I know I’ve sent my message well to a lot of people, to a lot of women, to a lot of young women as well. And I hope, ‘yung pagkapanalo ko, sana ma-inspire sila na gawin ‘yung gusto nila at ‘wag silang matakot matalo.”
Katrina doesn’t shy away from failure— she welcomes it as a necessary part of growth.
“It is really accepting that failure is part of the process,” Katrina shared. “Even if you fail, you actually learn from it.”
She pointed to her own journey in the recently concluded Miss Universe Philippines as a prime example.
“Coming to Miss Universe, siyempre ang goal natin is to win the Miss Universe Philippines crown. But, of course, it’s a destiny of someone [else], na ‘yun talaga ang mapupuntahan ng crown. If it’s not for me, it’s meant for someone else,” she said, with grace and perspective.
But Katrina didn’t walk away empty-handed— not in experience, nor in recognition.
“This one, I got the Supranational crown. And this is another opportunity, another door that opened for me. So I accepted it full-heartedly. It’s not a failure. It’s knowing that you have another opportunity to learn from it.”
For her, setbacks don’t signal defeat — they’re just redirections toward something just as meaningful, if not more.
“It’s not always what we wanted but in the process, we will be able to learn from it,” she said.
When asked what failure has taught her that no victory ever has, Gabriella’s answer was simple yet profound:
“Humility,” she said, with a smile.
She reflected on her own journey in pageantry.
“Of course, I vied for the highest title but I did get Miss Eco-International but I really learned that where you are is where you’re exactly supposed to be. And life will always pull you back down once you’ve gotten your success,” she said.
“So when you do become successful, I really think it’s important for you to remember that. Tomorrow could be very different. The way you approach today has to be your focus. ‘Cause if you don’t handle today well, your life could change completely— a whole 360.”
For Gabriella, every day has its own purpose.
“I really want people to see the gift of every day. You have to ask yourself every day, ‘What does the Lord want me to accomplish today?’” she said.
“It’s really just all about accepting who you are, accepting whatever life throws at you whether that be a success or a failure.”
Just like the others, Chelsea’s failures have been rich with lessons, shaping her journey and perspective on success.
“I learned a lot from all of my failures before and even up until now,” she reflected.
“And one thing I realized is that you should always accept your defeat. And wait until the time you succeed,” she added, emphasizing the value of patience in the face of setbacks.
For Chelsea, what truly matters is who you surround yourself with during these moments of struggle.
She believes that having a supportive network is crucial in navigating failure. It’s not just about personal resilience, but also about the people who lift you up, reaffirm your worth, and help you stay focused on your vision.
“Always surround yourself with optimistic people, people who truly believe in you, in all of your ability, capabilities, and even dexterities,” she shared.
“And someday, someday you’ll definitely achieve all of your dreams and goals in life. So just wait for the right moment.”
From our conversations with the queens, it’s evident that Miss Universe Philippines is more than just an entertainment spectacle. It serves as a platform for self-discovery, growth, and empowerment.
These women, with their vulnerabilities and triumphs, remind us that beauty isn’t a rigid standard. They also show us that failures aren’t the end of the road, but rather opportunities to gain valuable insights and develop new strengths.
Miss Universe Philippines is not just about crowns and sashes—it’s about the women who wear them, their stories, and the impact they make on the world, one powerful step at a time.
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