Miss Universe Philippines 2026 will be the seventh edition of the Miss Universe Philippines pageant, scheduled to take place on May 1, 2026, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
Ahtisa Manalo of Quezon will crown her successor at the end of the event. The winner will represent the Philippines at the Miss Universe 2026 pageant, to be held in Puerto Rico later that year.
On January 25, 2026, Miss Universe Philippines Organization began introducing updated branding for the seventh edition aligned with that of the international pageant. The following day, Mags Cue, a vice president of the organization, hinted at a "spectacular" event slated for February, later revealed to be the competition's opening press presentation. During the said event, the organization announced Misamis Occidental as the edition's host province with Pangasinan and Boracay serving as hosts for the national costume and swimsuit competitions, respectively.
On March 15, the organization scheduled the coronation night for May 1, designating the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay as the venue for the fifth consecutive year.
Contestants from 51 localities (26 provinces, 18 cities and 7 municipalities) were selected from local and regional pageants organized by accredited partners of the competition. Voltaire Tayag, the organization's executive vice president, considered this year's batch as among the "strongest" so far. The competitors were formally announced on February 16 during a two-part event that began with a parade at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay titled "The First Walk" and continued into a by-invitation event at the City of Dreams Manila in Parañaque titled "The Reveal".
This edition marks the debuts of cities of Dasmariñas and San Carlos, Pangasinan, the municipalities of Luisiana, Pateros, San Jose, Negros Oriental, Santo Tomas, La Union, Taal, Batangas, the provinces of Cotabato, Mountain Province, and Sarangani, and the overseas Filipino societies in Saudi Arabia, the Canadian province of Alberta, and the U.S. cities of Bellevue, Washington and Seattle. Additionally, this edition features the returns of La Union and Rizal which both last competed in 2020; Nueva Vizcaya which last competed in 2022; Negros Oriental and Southern Leyte which both last competed in 2023; and Cabanatuan, Cebu and Palawan which all last competed in 2024.
For this edition, no candidates were sent by accredited partners in Angeles City, Bago, Negros Occidental, Basey, Samar, Benguet, Bohol, Bulacan, Butuan, Caloocan, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Davao Region, Dipolog, Dumaguete, Guipos, Ifugao, Ilocos Sur, Isabela, Lapu-Lapu City, Liliw, Lucena, Malay, Aklan, Naga, Camarines Sur, Naic, Oriental Mindoro, Ozamiz, Pasay, Pasig, Quezon City, Quirino, Romblon, San Fernando, Cebu, San Jose, Batangas, Siargao, and Siniloan.
Leading up to the press presentation, Cristeta Longey, who was set to represent Benguet, resigned her title and withdrew from the competition, leaving no replacement. She cited a lack of transparency and support from her local organization as another individual was said to be undergoing training to represent the province in the pageant. According to her, the individual entered the contest representing another locality. Online personalities cited by the Philippine Daily Inquirer identified Lyneree Montero-Yodong of Mountain Province as the supposed replacement.
A day before the press presentation, Renee Rose Patual of Southern Leyte announced her withdrawal from the competition to prioritize her health, having cited a lack of updates and support from her local organization. However, she rescinded her decision a day later after reportedly reconciling with her organization.
On March 28, the Miss Universe Philippines Organization announced that a candidate has been removed from the competition. According to the organization, concerns were raised regarding certain behaviors, with the candidate given both a verbal and written guidance. The organization stated that the behaviors persisted leading to the candidate's removal. Imelda Schweighart of Kalibo was widely speculated to be sanctioned individual, but the organizers denied it was Schweighart but another candidate whose identity was not disclosed pending resolution of legal proceedings.
The pageant introduced a new format for the 2026 edition, which, according to National Director Ariella Arida, aimed to "revolutionize" Philippine pageantry. The preliminary roundsâÂÂthe evening gown competition, swimsuit segment, and closed-door interviewsâÂÂare pre-taped in March and are released weekly in April. The semifinalists for the competition are determined by the selection committee together with a public vote conducted per round through the Philippine online payment app Maya. Contestants are eliminated per round, although eliminated contestants may still advance to the semifinals through the choices of the selection panel, brand awards, and a wildcard selection.
In addition to the judges, the selected members of the public vote together in real time as an additional judge in each stage of the finals.
Contestants from 50 localities are competing for the title.