Josiela Mae Lagrimas of Laoang, an island town in Northern Samar, was crowned Mutya ng Pilipinas–Intercontinental 2026 on October 14 at the Playtime FilOil Centre in San Juan City, finishing ahead of 36 other delegates. Mutya ng Pilipinas president Cory Quirino and outgoing titleholder Christina Vanhefflin placed the crown. Lagrimas also won Best in Evening Gown and two sponsor awards, Miss CWC Interiors and Miss Montesa Medical Group.
She now represents the Philippines at Miss Intercontinental, a Germany-based international pageant held every year since 1971. Its 54th edition returns to Sahl Hasheesh, a resort town on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, where about 70 delegates are due to arrive on January 23, 2027. The Philippines has won the title twice, with Karen Gallman in 2018 and Cinderella Faye Obeñita in 2021, both sent by Binibining Pilipinas, which held the franchise at the time. Mutya ng Pilipinas took the franchise back in 2023 and is still looking for its first winner.
The Crown Stays in Eastern Visayas
Vanhefflin is from Leyte, and Lagrimas from Northern Samar, so the title passes between two provinces of the same region. Vanhefflin also set the mark her successor has to beat. At Miss Intercontinental 2025, held in Sahl Hasheesh on January 29, 2026, she finished fourth runner-up and won the Power of Beauty award, a special title the organization gives for intelligence, personality and advocacy.
Her finish continued a steady climb for Mutya since it regained the franchise. Iona Gibbs reached the Top 22 at Miss Intercontinental 2023. A year later, Alyssa Redondo of the Filipino community of California placed second runner-up, took Best in Swimsuit, and became the first-ever Power of Beauty recipient. Vanhefflin’s award made it two in a row for the Philippines. Lagrimas heads to the same resort town where her predecessor came within four places of the crown.
From Laoang to San Juan
This isn’t Lagrimas’s first national stage. In October 2024 she competed at Hiyas ng Pilipinas, held that year at the SM North EDSA Skydome in Quezon City, and finished among its runners-up. Two years later she came back for Mutya and left with its top crown and the evening gown award.
Back home, Laoang Mayor Charlene Ongchuan called her “a proud, pure-blooded Laoanganon” in a statement after the coronation, and pointed to her academic record alongside her pageant results. The mayor also pledged the town’s support as Lagrimas prepares for Egypt.
The Full Court
Mutya ng Pilipinas, now in its 58th year, crowned ten titleholders.
- Mutya ng Pilipinas–Intercontinental: Josiela Mae Lagrimas, Laoang, Northern Samar
- Top Model of the World: Ciely Ann Ycoy, Filipino community of California. She also won Best in Philippine Terno, Best in Swimsuit and Miss Philippine Airlines.
- Global Universe: Lyra Punsalan, Davao del Norte
- Polo Universe: Jessica Deladia, Tacloban City
- World Top Model: Lisa Marie Jane Craven, Parañaque City
- Overseas Communities: Natalie Jewelle Reyes, Filipino community of the United Arab Emirates. She also won Miss Talent.
- Charity: Iris Oresca, Camarines Sur
- Luzon: Maureen Mungcal, Pampanga. She also won Best in National Costume.
- Visayas: Patricia Gail Dueñas, Cebu City
- Mindanao: Claire Arwen Cacal, Pangasinan
Each title comes with its own international pageant, and the names are easy to mix up. Miss Global Universe and Miss Polo Universe are separate competitions. So are Top Model of the World and World Top Model, both modeling-focused pageants run by different organizations. Mutya’s regional titles aren’t tied to where a delegate is from, which is how a Pangasinan delegate came away as Mutya ng Pilipinas–Mindanao. The pageant has done this before: in 2022, its Mindanao title went to a delegate from Tarlac City.
Some of the new queens are familiar from this year’s circuit. Iris Oresca, the new Mutya ng Pilipinas–Charity, competed at Binibining Pilipinas in July as Bicol Region’s delegate. She was one of that pageant’s five Best in National Costume winners.
Tim Yap, the events host, and Pauline Amelinckx, Miss Supranational 2023 first runner-up, hosted the show. Broadcast journalist Ganiel Krishnan, Mutya’s 2016 Asia Pacific International titleholder, and Andrea Endicio anchored. The show streamed on the Mutya ng Pilipinas Facebook page and aired nationwide on IBC-13, the government-owned free-to-air network.
Two Poll Leaders Took Titles
At the sashing ceremony on October 4, Mutya ng Pilipinas recognized the three delegates leading its Mutya ng Bayan online poll: Rica Mae Villasana of Camarines Norte, Lyra Punsalan and Patricia Gail Dueñas. Two of them left the coronation with titles. Villasana reached the Top 21.
What This Class Inherits
The 2026 queens follow a class that won abroad this year. Lyndzy Blyss Maranan, Mutya ng Pilipinas–Luzon 2025, was appointed to Miss Global Universe and won it in July, the country’s first win there. She crowned Punsalan as her successor. Andrea Endicio won Miss Polo Universe in Dubai in September and crowned Deladia. Eunice Deza placed second runner-up at Top Model of the World.
Some of those wins came from titles that had no international assignment when they were awarded, which we covered when this year’s applications opened. The 2026 class starts with each crown already tied to a pageant.