Crowning Change: How Pageants in the Philippines Have Evolved With the Times

In a country where beauty pageants are treated like a national sport, the pursuit of a crown has long held cultural weight. But as global standards shift and Filipino audiences demand more authenticity, purpose, and even progressiveness from their queens, the pageant industry is evolving, too.

Allure Philippines sat down with Jonas Gaffud, CEO and president of Miss Universe Philippines, and Lowell Tan, a longtime pasarela coach at Aces & Queens, and mentor and core member at the Philippine DanceSport Federation Academy, to understand how the definition of a beauty queen has transformed over the years, and what it takes to rise in a pageant by today’s standards.

From catwalk to character

For Gaffud, it’s about more than mastering the walk. “A delegate should be multifaceted,” he says. “She must be able to learn so many things and not just walk. Remember, you can always have the perfect walk to advance to the finals, but the end is the Q&A.”

And that’s where substance kicks in. “After winning the crown, there will be a lot of interviews. A winner should read [up on] a lot of current events, social issues… better learn [them] all,” he adds.

“There’s a lot of things you put in your bag now,” Tan agrees. “You have to bring your pasarela with you. You have to bring your brains with you. You have to bring how confident you are [in] your gown.”

Tan remembers a time when things were simpler and, in some ways, less demanding. “Before, you’re [merely] pretty, [and] you [can] go out there. But now, before you go out there, there’s a lot of preparation. The evolution is in getting the ladies much more prepared now [compared to] before.”

In an era of viral clips and TikTok edits, it’s easy to zero in on just the glamour, but Gaffud reminds us not to forget the depth. “In the social media age, so many Reels are spliced—mostly on the walk or the Q&A. People have to remember there’s so much more than just that, like personality,” he says. 

“What has remained constant is class. The ones who win or make it to the finals in the end mostly are those who [have] class.”

Evolving beauty, consistent diversity

While the commercial beauty industry in the Philippines often favors fairer skin or mestiza features, the pageant world has historically been more inclusive. “I don’t think beauty standards have changed in the pageant world in the Philippines,” Gaffud says. “Since the 60s, we have sent many morenas to the international stage, and so many of them won or placed high. Just last year, we sent our first Black Filipina, Chelsea Manalo.”

He adds: “We must not think that a certain morena is the perfect Filipina. Should we just joke that white foreigners look at us as exotic? We are very diverse and anyone can represent the Filipino—we are of mixed race. Anyone can represent the Filipino.”

It’s a sentiment Tan echoes in his training: even candidates who grew up outside the Philippines can hold onto their roots. “The family plays a big role in giving them Filipino culture within the household,” he says. “I’ve worked with women raised abroad who are so proud of being Filipina because of how they were raised at home, even if they didn’t grow up here.”

On advocacy, authenticity, and action

One of the biggest changes in recent years? The rise of advocacy-driven queens.

“The organizations should also be more active in pursuing advocacies that have tangible results,” Gaffud says. “Miss Universe Philippines has changed that narrative of just being a platform to showcase advocacies. We work behind the scenes. Thanks to so many delegates now who really do help and are active participants in helping many causes.”

Tan agrees, but stresses the importance of being rooted in something genuine. “You cannot do advocacy [work] just because you’re going to a pageant,” he says. “It’s something you build up in you. When you talk about it, that’s when you can see that, oh, she’s been with [her advocacy]. She knows what she’s talking about.” 

A beauty queen’s ability to impact culture doesn’t begin and end with a crown. “Beauty queens have a huge platform,” Gaffud says. “A modern beauty queen not just speaks but works. One has to be a voice for the causes she believes in—not just for photo opportunities or for a show.”

The resounding message is clear: An advocacy shouldn’t be a costume worn for the stage or a bullet point on a resumé. It’s immediately obvious when a queen’s heart isn’t in it. Your advocacy isn’t a platform that will help you push yourself toward the crown; the crown should be what pushes your advocacy forward.

Defining the modern Filipina queen

For both mentors, today’s beauty queen is no longer just an image of perfection—she’s a woman in motion. She studies, adapts, listens, and speaks.

“She needs to keep on working to present the culture of the Philippines anywhere she goes,” Tan says. “Not to adapt to anything, but to keep the culture within herself as a Filipina. She should be approachable, adaptable, [and] on top of anything and everything.” 

Tan also believes that the modern beauty queen should be curious, adaptable, and open to learning. Someone who doesn’t turn down opportunities just because they’re unfamiliar. For him, it’s not about being picky or selective, but about having the drive to try new things, especially when offered guidance and support.

Ultimately, in the eyes of Gaffud, a queen can “dedicate her reign, or even her lifetime, to helping others and become more beautiful in doing so.”

Because in this new era of pageantry, it’s not just about representing the country onstage—it’s about embodying what the country hopes to become.