Miss Universe Philippines-Taguig twice over Katrina Llegado/Image: INQUIRER.net/Armin P. Adina
Another delegate will return to the Miss Universe Philippines stage this year, pageant veteran Katrina Llegado who was second runner-up in 2022.
Her appointment as Miss Universe Philippines-Taguig was formalized in an intimate gathering held at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig on Friday afternoon, Feb. 7.
She will once again represent the “probinsyudad” in the national pageant, hoping to duplicate the feat of her good friend Michelle Marquez Dee who joined the tilt twice before snagging the crown.
Llegado competed alongside Dee in the 2022 Miss Universe Philippines pageant, where the latter received the Miss Universe Philippines-Tourism title. Celeste Cortesi took home the top prize that year.
Dee and Llegado were also batchmates in the ninth edition of the Miss World Philippines pageant, where both of them took home national titles.
Dee was proclaimed as Miss World Philippines and went on to finish in the Top 12 of her international pageant held in London, while Katrina Llegado was crowned as Reina Hispanoamericana Filipinas, and was Quinta Finalista (5th runner-up) in her global tilt in Bolivia.
Before Llegado, the first confirmed Miss Universe Philippines returnee this year was Chella Falconer, who represented Misamis Oriental in the 2021 search, where she also finished in the Top 16.
Falconer represented the city of Naga, Cebu, in the Miss Universe Philippines-Cebu pageant late last year. She was crowned as Miss Universe Philippines-Cebu Tourism, and was tasked to carry Cebu Province in the national competition.
Aside from Llegado and Falconer, more familiar faces are competing in the 2025 Miss Universe Philippines pageant, crossover queens from different organizations.
Among those who are eyeing to earn the right to represent the Philippines in the Miss Universe pageant are 2017 Binibining Pilipinas-Supranational Chanel Olive Thomas, 2019 Mutya ng Pilipinas-Tourism International Tyra Goldman, and 2023 Miss Earth-Air Yllana Aduana.
Thomas was appointed by the Filipino community in Australia to represent Melbourne, while Aduana was designated by the Miss Universe Philippines-Laguna organization to carry the town of Siniloan.
Goldman competed in the Miss Universe Philippines-Bohol pageant earlier this year, and convincingly won the crown.