{"id":241532,"date":"2026-05-23T06:31:21","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T06:31:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/241532\/"},"modified":"2026-05-23T06:31:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T06:31:21","slug":"queens-apriel-smith-nicole-borromeo-return-to-warm-welcome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/241532\/","title":{"rendered":"Queens Apriel Smith, Nicole Borromeo return to warm welcome"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"CebuanaCebuana queens Apriel Smith and Nicole Borromeo answer questions from members of the media during their homecoming celebration at SM Seaside City Cebu on Friday, May 22. | Mary Grace Mancao\/ CDN Digital<\/p>\n

CEBU CITY, Philippines \u2014 Cebuana beauty queens Apriel Smith and Nicole Borromeo received a warm homecoming welcome on Friday, May 22.<\/p>\n

Avid supporters of the two beauty queens gathered at SM Seaside City Cebu to celebrate their achievements in the recent Miss Universe Philippines 2026 and their upcoming international pageant journeys.<\/p>\n

Smith, who represented Cebu City, was crowned Miss Charm Philippines 2026 during The Miss Philippines 2026 Coronation Ball on May 10, while Borromeo of Cebu Province made history as the first-ever Miss Worldwide Philippines 2026 titleholder. Both queens also finished in the Top 7 of Miss Universe Philippines 2026.<\/p>\n

READ: Apriel Smith: Embracing her journey as a black-skinned Cebuana Queen<\/a><\/p>\n

Earlier on Friday, the two queens joined a motorcade that passed through key areas in Cebu, beginning at the Cebu Provincial Capitol and ending at Cebu City Hall before proceeding to the main homecoming program at SM Seaside.<\/p>\n

Celebration and crowd interaction<\/p>\n

During the event, organizers and guests recognized Smith and Borromeo for representing Cebu on the national stage and for earning opportunities to compete internationally.<\/p>\n

In their speeches, the queens thanked their families, mentors, glam teams, and Cebuano supporters who stood by them throughout their pageant journeys. They also expressed gratitude for the warm reception from the public following their victories.<\/p>\n

The program featured interactive activities with the audience, including a trivia segment where attendees answered questions related to the queens\u2019 pageant experiences and personal journeys. Winners received prizes from the organizers and were given the opportunity to take photos with Smith and Borromeo.<\/p>\n

READ: MUPH Cebu director: Apriel Smith, Nicole Borromeo \u2018fit\u2019 their new titles<\/a><\/p>\n

The celebration also featured a TikTok dance challenge with Smith and Borromeo using the popular song \u201cHawak Mo Ang Beat,\u201d as audience members competed on stage in an elimination-style contest that drew cheers from supporters.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As the celebration concluded, Smith and Borromeo joined supporters for a group photo session and spent time interacting with attendees.<\/p>\n

Queens reflect on pageant journeys<\/p>\n

Following the program, the queens faced members of the media, where they reflected on their pageant experiences, sacrifices, and preparations for their international competitions.<\/p>\n

Smith, who will represent the Philippines at Miss Charm 2026 in Vietnam, expressed confidence in bringing home the country\u2019s first Miss Charm crown.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo that we can claim the first Philippines\u2019 Miss Charm,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

When asked whether the Philippines had previously won the international title, Smith responded, \u201cWala pa\u2026 I\u2019m gonna be the first\u2026 we\u2019re gonna be the first one. Claiming it!\u201d<\/p>\n

(\u201cThere has never been a Miss Charm winner from the Philippines. I\u2019m going to be the first\u2014we\u2019re going to be the first one. Claiming it!\u201d)<\/p>\n

She added that she continues to trust the direction of her journey.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything happens for a reason\u2026 being Miss Charm Philippines is a blessing,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n

READ: Cebuanos react to Apriel Smith and Nicole Borromeo\u2019s Miss PH titles: \u2018Robbed\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

Borromeo, meanwhile, said she initially had questions about her Miss Worldwide Philippines title before eventually embracing its opportunities. <\/p>\n

\u201cTheir goal is actually to combine theater with pageantry,\u201d she explained, noting that the platform would allow her to engage in international workshops, performances, and cultural exchanges.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is gonna be one crazy ride,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

The Miss Worldwide venue will follow the the international tour format.<\/p>\n

Sacrifices behind the crowns<\/p>\n

Reflecting on her Miss Universe Philippines journey, Borromeo said she ultimately gained more than just a title.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course when you join, you think, \u2018I want to be your next Miss Universe,\u2019 but at the end of the day, you walk away a better version of yourself with amazing connections and friends,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She also spoke about moments of doubt during the competition.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhenever I feel doubt, I reflect on one of my favorite verses\u2026 \u2018God\u2019s plans are greater than what we can ever ask, dream or imagine,\u2019\u201d Borromeo said.<\/p>\n

On the sacrifices behind their pageant journeys, Smith shared how she balanced work abroad with competition preparations.<\/p>\n

READ: MUPH 2026 Bea Millan-Windorski is a pageant \u2018unicorn,\u2019 says US director<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a time I was flying in and out of Singapore and Manila just to work and attend Miss Universe Philippines activities on my off days,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was not easy, but I am grateful to my employers for supporting me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Borromeo, meanwhile, reflected on the importance of surrounding herself with people who support her ambitions.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou surround yourself with people who see the future as bright as you do instead of convincing them why it is a dream to begin with,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The homecoming celebration for the Cebuana beauty queens served as both a recognition of the queens\u2019 achievements and a show of support from Cebuanos as Smith and Borromeo prepare to represent the Philippines on the international pageant stage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Cebuana queens Apriel Smith and Nicole Borromeo answer questions from members of the media during their homecoming celebration…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":241533,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[9,24,63,122,124,123],"class_list":["post-241532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-queens","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-queens","tag-queens-headlines","tag-queens-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241532","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=241532"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241532\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/241533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=241532"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=241532"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=241532"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}