IN PHOTOS: Miss Universe PH 2025 hopefuls showcase beauty, wit in preliminary competition

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Pageant hopefuls display their capabilities in the closed-door interviews and swimsuit segment

MANILA, Philippines – Ahead of the coronation night, each of the 66 Miss Universe Philippines 2025 candidates showed why each of them are deserving of the crown at the preliminary competition on Monday, April 28, at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Pasay City.

The preliminary competition started with closed-door interviews meant to test the beauty queens’ speaking skills and ability to answer questions clearly on the spot. In this segment, candidates were asked to share details about what they do outside of pageantry, why they became beauty queens, and how specific parts of their personal lives shaped their current selves.

Camarines Sur’s Shaina Ong Rabacal during the interview segment of Miss Universe Philippines 2025. Screenshot from Empire PH’s YouTube page

Muntinlupa’s Winwyn Marquez during the preliminaries’ closed-door interviews. Screenshot from Empire PH’s YouTube page

Rechel Hoco of Oriental Mindoro during the preliminaries’ closed-door interviews. Screenshot from Empire PH’s YouTube page

The candidates were then asked questions like what their biggest dreams are, what they’d like to tell their younger selves, and why they should be the next Miss Universe Philippines, among others.

The preliminary competition began at around 10:45 pm. It was originally scheduled to start at 8 pm, leading to a nearly three-hour wait for Filipino pageant enthusiasts.

Hosted by Miss Universe Philippines 2024 Chelsea Manalo and Erika Kristensen Lee, the long-awaited preliminaries started off with a swimsuit round, where candidates strutted across the stage in lavender swimsuits and purple cover-ups.

Benguet’s Maiko Ibarde during the swimsuit round. Screenshot from Empire PH’s YouTube page

Cebu City’s Gabriella Mai Carballo during the swimsuit round. Screenshot from Empire PH’s YouTube page

Ifugao’s Valerie Claire West during the swimsuit round. Screenshot from Empire PH YouTube page

Shortly after, the contestants changed into their evening gowns to show off their elegant walks and eye-catching outfits. This segment doubled as a celebration of Filipino ingenuity and craftsmanship, as each evening gown was made by a Filipino designer.

Taguig’s Katrina Llegado during the evening gown competition. Screenshot from Empire PH’s YouTube page

Siniloan, Laguna’s Yllana Marie Aduana during the pageant’s evening gown segment. Screenshot from Empire PH’s YouTube page

Albay’s Rani Lachmi Dado at the preliminaries’ evening gown segment. Screenshot from Empire PH’s YouTube page

This edition looks to be a memorable one, as several seasoned queens are on the roster of hopefuls: Reina Hispanoamericana 2017 Winwyn Marquez, Miss Earth Air 2023 Yllana Marie Aduana, Miss Cosmo 2024 Top 10 finisher Ahtisa Manalo, and Miss Earth Philippines Water 2019 Chelsea Fernandez.

Manalo will be crowning her successor on coronation night on May 2 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. – Rappler.com