Reina Filipinas Grand International 2026: Angelica Lopez of Palawan (center) and Reina Filipinas MGI All Stars: Anne Patricia Diaz of Manila (right) and Alexie Brooks of Iloilo City (left).
PHOTOGRAPH BY YUMMIE DINGDING FOR DAILY TRIBUNE
A new chapter in Philippine pageantry officially began with Angelica Lopez at its forefront.
The Palawan beauty queen claimed the top crown at the inaugural Reina Filipinas coronation night on Friday, 7 August, becoming the organization’s first winner and earning another opportunity to carry the Philippine flag on the international stage.
Lopez emerged victorious from a competitive group of 21 women, many of whom entered the new national pageant with years of experience behind them. Her triumph sends her to the next Miss Grand International competition, adding another major international assignment to an already established pageant career.
But Reina Filipinas did not crown just one queen on its historic first night.
Pageant standouts Alexie Brooks of Iloilo City and Anne Patricia Diaz of Manila were also given major titles as the organization selected its first representatives to MGI All Stars. Together, Lopez, Brooks and Diaz became the pioneering trio who will carry the Reina Filipinas name beyond the country.
Lopez takes center stage
Lopez entered the competition as one of its most recognizable candidates, having previously represented the Philippines at Miss International 2024.
That international experience became evident throughout the Reina Filipinas competition as she displayed polish, composure and consistency across the different stages of the pageant.
Her performance in the swimsuit round proved particularly decisive. Lopez earned a perfect score from the judges to secure the Best in Swimsuit award. She also collected the Reina Pasarela and Reina Urban Smiles special awards, strengthening her position heading into the crucial final stages of the competition.
Yet her campaign was not built on stage performance alone.
During the final question-and-answer round, Lopez focused on what a pageant organization can offer women beyond crowns and international assignments.
She pointed to Reina Filipinas as a platform where women can acquire new skills, develop themselves and gain opportunities that can remain valuable long after a competition ends. Lopez described that relationship between the organization and its candidates as a “win-win situation.”
Her answer complemented the confidence she had displayed throughout the night and ultimately helped propel her toward the pageant’s first and biggest crown.
The victory also marks a significant comeback for Lopez on the international pageant circuit. After her Miss International journey in 2024, she will now face a completely different challenge when she steps onto the Miss Grand International stage.
The assignment comes at a particularly significant period for the Philippines, with expectations surrounding the country at Miss Grand International growing following the victories of CJ Opiaza and Emma Tiglao.
Lopez will now attempt to continue that winning momentum as the first Miss Grand International representative produced by Reina Filipinas.
Alexie Brooks earns another international assignment
Alexie Brooks, meanwhile, added another milestone to her pageant career after securing one of the two Reina Filipinas MGI All Stars 2026 crowns.
The Iloilo City representative arrived as another formidable contender, bringing with her the experience of already knowing what it takes to win an international title.
Brooks previously captured the Miss Eco International 2025 crown, making her return to national competition particularly anticipated.
At Reina Filipinas, she once again demonstrated the stage presence that has become one of her trademarks.
Brooks received a perfect score in the evening gown competition and walked away with the Best in Evening Gown award. She also earned the Best Seller and Reina Kserene distinctions.
Her final answer, however, offered a more personal glimpse into the woman behind the confident competitor.
Asked about the possibilities presented by Reina Filipinas, Brooks reflected on challenging conventional ideas about beauty and on the ability of women to rebuild themselves after difficult experiences.
She spoke of how “someone who is as broken as a glass can rise as beautiful as a flower,” turning her answer into a message about resilience and transformation.
With her new title, Brooks now has the opportunity to return to the international arena, this time representing the Philippines at the second edition of MGI All Stars.
Anne Patricia Diaz makes her own history
The evening also became a milestone for transgender representation in Philippine pageantry as Anne Patricia Diaz secured the other Reina Filipinas MGI All Stars 2026 title.
Diaz entered the competition as its only transgender candidate and ultimately left as one of its three major queens.
Her victory added another dimension to Reina Filipinas’ inaugural edition, demonstrating from its first year that its competition could provide space for women with different backgrounds and pageant journeys.
Diaz was already familiar with the international stage before entering Reina Filipinas.
She competed at Miss International Queen 2025 and finished in the Top 6. Moving from a pageant dedicated to transgender women into a national competition alongside a broader field of candidates made her Reina Filipinas campaign especially significant.
Rather than allowing her identity to become her only narrative, Diaz competed for the crown alongside every other contender and eventually secured an international assignment of her own.
Her message during the final question-and-answer round centered on the same principles that defined much of her journey: equality, representation and opportunity.
Diaz praised Reina Filipinas for opening its platform to women regardless of their backgrounds. For her, that commitment to inclusivity was the reason she considered “Reina Filipinas number 1.”
Her eventual victory gave that message even greater meaning.
Diaz will now join Brooks in representing the Philippines at the second MGI All Stars competition, giving the country two experienced queens with distinctly different pageant stories.
A pioneering court
Beyond its three international representatives, Reina Filipinas also named four runners-up who completed the first court in the organization’s history.
Reina Filipinas 2026 winners: Reina Filipinas Grand International 2026: Angelica Lopez — Palawan; Reina Filipinas MGI All Stars 2026: Alexie Brooks — Iloilo City; Reina Filipinas MGI All Stars 2026: Anne Patricia Diaz — Manila; 1st Runner-Up: Cleopatra Barrera; 2nd Runner-Up: Isabelle Ortega; 3rd Runner-Up: Zeah Nestle Pala and 4th Runner-Up: Luisa Benavides.
The results capped a debut edition that brought together established competitors and emerging queens while introducing another pathway for Filipinas seeking opportunities on the international stage.
For Lopez, Brooks and Diaz, however, coronation night was less an ending than the beginning of their next campaigns.
Brooks and Diaz will carry the country into the second edition of MGI All Stars, hoping to strengthen the Philippines’ presence in the young international competition.
The biggest spotlight will also follow Lopez as she moves from being Reina Filipinas’ historic first top winner to becoming the country’s next Miss Grand International bet.
From her previous appearance at Miss International to her latest national victory, Lopez has been handed another chance to pursue an international crown — this time under a pageant system making history of its own.
And when the first chapter of Reina Filipinas is remembered, Angelica Lopez will forever hold one distinction no future winner can duplicate: she was the queen who started it all.
