Latest news with #NationalCostumeShow
Gulf News
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf News
Miss Universe Philippines 2025: All you need to know about pageant and how you can help choose winner
Sixty-six dazzling candidates. One glittering crown. And now? One massive twist: you get to help decide who gets it. Miss Universe Philippines 2025 is going full democracy glam this year, announcing that fans can vote in real-time to push their favorite candidates all the way to the top. That's right—from Top 24 to Top 12 to Top 6, your tap could make someone's sash dreams come true. 'It's your turn to help shape the destiny of Miss Universe Philippines 2025!' the organisation posted on Instagram. Voting is live on the Miss Universe Philippines app—so may the best queen (and fanbase) win. The coronation night, set to light up the SM Mall of Asia Arena tonight, is already being billed as one of the grandest ever. National director Ariella Arida and executive VP Voltaire Tayag are promising a spectacle packed with power, poise, and a whole lot of pageant prowess. 'These girls are running on a schedule three times tougher than ours back in the day,' Arida told ABS-CBN News. 'But you wouldn't know it. Their energy? Unmatched.' Just one night after the elaborate National Costume Show, contestants were still in high spirits during Thursday's all-day rehearsals. Tayag praised their stamina and savvy: 'They're maximizing every break. It's pro-level discipline.' And Arida? She's feeling the chills. 'I've watched their entire journey—from auditions to now. This is their moment.' The pageant is also coming off its global high: reigning queen Chelsea Manalo made history earlier this year when she became the first Miss Universe Asia 2025. The pressure is on—and the competition has never been fiercer. So what separates a contestant from a queen? Tayag says it's all about real, effortless confidence. 'When she's not pretending—when she's just being —that's when she lights up the stage.' 'There's always fan favorites,' Arida added, 'but Miss Universe Philippines has a way of revealing the one right when it counts.' In fact, so many candidates brought their A-game that the org had to bump the Top 3 National Costume awardees to a Top 5. As they say: too much fabulous to contain. Catch the action live via Empire Philippines' YouTube channel, or watch the delayed telecast on GMA Network on May 4. One thing's for sure: the sash, the crown, and the crown-worthy drama are all coming in hot.
Gulf News
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf News
Meet Dubai TikTok star Rechel Hoco competing for Miss Universe Philippines 2025 crown
Dubai: From the glittering skyline of Dubai to the crown-studded stage of Miss Universe Philippines 2025, Rechel Hoco is proving that dreams don't have a zip code. The 23-year-old content creator and self-made social media star — with over 1.2 million TikTok followers and counting — will compete at the Miss Universe Philippines 2025 pageant by representing Oriental Mindoro, a province 140 kilometres southwest of Manila. At the time of writing this article, she was in the midst of preparing for the National Costume Show round in Philippines. And no, she didn't get here through industry connections or pageant camps. If her posts on social media are anything go by, she proudly hustled her way from Overseas Filipino Worker's life to online royalty, one reel at a time. A former Miss Oriental Mindoro 2019, Rechel packed her bags in 2022 and moved to Dubai to support her family. By day, she worked as a travel sales agent. By night? She became a full-blown digital diva — vlogging, modeling, and serving looks that turned her into a household name among the Filipino diaspora. 'I wasn't born into privilege. I built this,' she shared on social media, oozing the kind of confidence that pageant fans eat up. Now, she's returning to the spotlight — but on her terms. Representing her roots with grit and glamour, Rechel is ready to take on the Miss Universe Philippines 2025 stage on May 2. And trust us, she's not just there to pose — she's coming for that crown.
