![\"READY](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/921404.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n
READY TO SHINE Cebu\u2019s official representatives to Miss Universe Philippines 2026, Nicole Borromeo (Cebu Province) and Apriel Smith (Cebu City), during their sashing ceremony at Nustar Resort and Casino on Feb. 1, 2026. PHOTO BY KAISER JAN FUENTES<\/p>\n
They were crowned by last year\u2019s winner, Gabbi Carballo, who placed in the Top 6 nationally and was later appointed Miss Eco International Philippines.<\/p>\n
Get the latest news
\n
\n delivered to your inbox<\/p>\n
Sign up for The Manila Times newsletters<\/p>\n
By signing up with an email address, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Terms of Service<\/a> and Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n Carballo will represent the country in Egypt this May.<\/p>\n Payod-Bitzer welcomed the queens into one Cebu \u201cfamily\u201d and emphasized that they are \u201cnot competitors, but partners,\u201d representing Cebu City and Cebu Province with their unique stories, identities and strengths.<\/p>\n \u201cGrace in adversity, resilience in hardship, compassion in service, and excellence in purpose,\u201d she said, outlining the qualities expected of a Cebuana beauty queen.<\/p>\n At the press conference, both queens shared with The Manila Times their personal journeys and advocacies.<\/p>\n Smith, currently working abroad, said her experience as an OFW allowed her to reflect, gain perspective, and return to the pageant stage with renewed purpose.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter six years, why not come back on stage? The pandemic gave me the time to think and learn from myself,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n She also discussed how sports shaped her confidence and teamwork skills while helping her overcome experiences of bullying.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause of teamwork and camaraderie in volleyball, I gained confidence. I want to show everyone that no matter what people see you as, don\u2019t let them bring you down. Stand up for yourself. Know your self-worth, and no one can beat you down,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Smith played varsity volleyball in high school for Abellana National School and in college for the University of San Carlos.<\/p>\n She plans to promote sports as a tool for confidence-building, teamwork, and self-worth through her pageant advocacy.<\/p>\n Borromeo, on the other hand, reflected on her volunteer and advocacy work, which focuses on the housing situation in a country frequently struck by typhoons and natural disasters, and highlighted her efforts with Habitat for Humanity.<\/p>\n For the upcoming competition, she plans to shift her focus to mental health, a cause particularly close to her heart.<\/p>\n \u201cI hit my rock bottom not too long ago, and I was really lucky to have the right people around me to help me express myself…. Sometimes people don\u2019t have the words to express what they\u2019re feeling. In my case, it was through art,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Borromeo added that her current advocacy includes art therapy sessions for soldiers experiencing trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to share with people that you aren\u2019t limited by your negative mindset or by how you talk down on yourself. You aren\u2019t defined by your pain or your hurt \u2014 you are so much more than that, and the world is just waiting for you to come alive,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Seasoned queens<\/p>\n Borromeo earned the right to compete internationally after winning Binibining Pilipinas International 2022 and went on to represent the Philippines at Miss International 2023 in Tokyo, Japan, finishing third runner-up.<\/p>\n She has also won Miss Silka Cebu 2017, Sinulog Festival Queen 2019, and Miss Millennial Philippines 2019.<\/p>\n Smith, the first-ever Binibining Cebu in 2017, reached the Top 16 in Miss Universe Philippines 2020, placed in the top 15 in Binibining Pilipinas 2016, and previously won titles including Sinulog Festival Queen 2012, Miss Dumanjug, and Miss Cebu City Olympics.<\/p>\n During the event, both queens also received special awards from sponsors.<\/p>\n Smith was named Miss KBDF, Miss Skin 911 Premiere, Miss Goodluck Hot Pot, and Miss Ph Care, while Borromeo received Miss Winzen Cafe, Miss Skin 911 Medical, Miss Gandang Myra E, and Miss Rose Pharmacy, reflecting strong sponsor and community support.<\/p>\n The latest Cebuanas to earn the Miss Universe Philippines title include Beatrice Luigi Gomez, who placed in the Top 5 at the 70th Miss Universe pageant in Israel in 2021, and Gazini Ganados, a Top 20 semifinalist who also won the Best in National Costume award at the pageant\u2019s 68th edition in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2019.<\/p>\n The reigning Miss Universe Philippines titleholder is Ahtisa Manalo of Quezon Province, who was awarded 3rd runner-up in a pageant held in Bangkok, Thailand.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"CEBU will send two seasoned queens to compete at Miss Universe Philippines 2026, bringing not just beauty but…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":120185,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[2016,52772,1297,531,9,24,63,122,124,123,52773,52774,48556,1281,21145],"class_list":["post-120184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-queens","tag-at","tag-cebu","tag-from","tag-national","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-queens","tag-queens-headlines","tag-queens-news","tag-ready","tag-shine","tag-stage","tag-to","tag-veteran"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=120184"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120184\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/120185"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=120184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=120184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=120184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}