Whose streak will continue at Miss Universe Philippines 2022?

Do you know what Aklan, Albay, Cavite, Cebu City, Cebu Province, Misamis Oriental, and Taguig all have in common? These are the only cities and provinces that have placed in the past two editions of Miss Universe Philippines.

Despite being the newest of the country’s major national pageants, it’s interesting to see how certain areas have consistently sent strong delegates to the competition. With its triennial edition only a month away, the candidates representing these places will be under a lot of pressure.

Currently, the Top 50 candidates for this year’s batch have been undergoing a series of online challenges. In the end, only 30 of them will move forward and continue their journey towards the crown.

Will these seven cities and provinces make an appearance in the finale? Before we can get an answer, let’s meet the girls fighting to extend their successful placement streak at Miss Universe Philippines 2022.

Aklan

Thanks to Christelle Abello, the Philippines’ oldest province has placed in the semifinals for the past two years. After finishing in the Top 16 on both occasions, a new face is set to fill her shoes this year.

Jona Sweett is 26 years old and is no stranger to the world of pageantry. She competed in a slew of local pageants before moving on to the national level. In 2015, she initially competed in Miss Philippines Earth, representing Ilo-Ilo City where she finished as Miss Eco-Tourism. Two years later, she joined Miss World Philippines 2017, placing in the Top 10.

Albay

The last Albayano to win Miss Universe Philippines was Catriona Gray in 2018, who went on to become Miss Universe.

Albay was first represented on the Miss Universe Philippines stage by Paula Ortega, who finished in the Top 16. Janela Cuaton finished a bit higher the following year, settling in the Top 10. This year, 27-year-old Julia Calleja Saubier aims to bring back the title to the land of Mayon.

Cavite

In terms of overall performance, Cavite definitely takes the cake. The historical capital of the Philippines has been sitting comfortably in the Top 5 for two years now.

In 2020, Billie Hakenson was named fourth runner-up while in 2021, Victoria Vincent was crowned the first Miss Universe Philippines-Charity. 26-year-old Jennika Casin is their newest wager, and while she isn’t as popular as her predecessors, she still has a chance to win.

Cebu City

True to its nickname, the Queen City of the South is a breeding ground for high-caliber beauty queens.

Their representative for this year is 20-year-old Chantal Schmidt. The stakes are high for her since the reigning queen, Beatrice Luigi Gomez, was their representative last year. Not to mention that Tracy Maureen Perez, the current Miss World Philippines 2021, was their inaugural candidate, placing in the Top 16.

Cebu Province

While Cebu City is powerful on its own, Cebu as a whole, however, is a different story. The province has earned a reputation as a powerhouse in Philippine pageantry by dominating various national pageants.

Apriel Smith and Steffi Aberasturi did amazingly during their respective stints. Apriel reached the Top 16 in 2020, while Steffi finished second runner-up in 2021. Lou Piczon who is 26 years old is back as she has already competed in Miss Universe Philippines before. In 2020, she represented Mandaue specifically and was placed in the Top 16 along with Apriel.

Misamis Oriental

Misamis Oriental is, perhaps, the complete underdog among the others on this list. Although Pia Wurtzbach, who represented Cagayan de Oro at the nation stage won the Miss Universe pageant in 2015, the province did not gain momentum until recently.

In 2020, Caroline Veronilla who was a pleasant surprise started their streak, finishing in the Top 16. A year later, Chella Falconer also met the same results. 21-year-old Annabelle McDonnell hopes to not only finish a little higher this year but also to take home the crown.

Taguig City

Lastly, we have the ProbinSiyudad of Taguig. For the past two years, the city has been represented by pageant veterans, with outstanding results.

Miss World Philippines 2016 4th Princess Sandra Lemonon made it to the semifinals in 2020 and finished in the Top 16. Second, Bb. Pilipinas-Tourism 2012 Katrina Dimaranan was coincidentally named the first Miss Universe Philippines-Tourism. This year, their candidate is not just another pageant veteran, but also a Katrina namesake. Katrina Llegado who is 24 years old was Reina Hispanoamericana 2019 and is one of the current favorites.

The coronation night of Miss Universe Philippines 2022 will be held on April 30 at the Mall of Asia Arena. Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach will host the event, together with fellow Miss Universes Iris Mittenaere, and Demi-Leigh Tebow.