The search for the next Mutya ng Pilipinas queens is officially underway.
Thirty-seven candidates were formally presented during the Mutya ng Pilipinas 2026 press presentation and sashing ceremony held at The Bellevue Manila in Alabang on October 4.
The candidates represent different provinces, cities, regional competitions and overseas Filipino communities.
Mutya ng Pilipinas president Cory Quirino joined reigning Mutya ng Pilipinas Intercontinental Christina Vanhefflin in welcoming the candidates to this year’s competition.
The organization is celebrating its 58th season as it moves closer to its 60th anniversary in 2028.
Camarines Norte tops Mutya ng Bayan voting
One candidate has already made an early mark in the competition.
Camarines Norte representative Rica Mae Villasana topped the Mutya ng Bayan online voting.
She received 70,230 votes, finishing ahead of Davao del Norte’s Lyra Punsalan, who collected 59,630 votes.
Cebu’s Patricia Gail Dueñas placed third in the voting with 52,750 votes.
The three candidates were recognized during the official presentation.
The Mutya ng Bayan result gives Villasana an early boost as the competition moves toward its major pre-pageant activities and coronation night.
37 candidates compete for Mutya ng Pilipinas 2026
Among the candidates to watch are representatives from Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Cebu, Davao del Norte, Iligan City, Laguna, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Rizal, Samar and Tacloban.
The overseas Filipino communities are also represented, with candidates coming from Australia, California, Canada and the United Arab Emirates.
Some of the names in this year’s field include Iris Oresca of Camarines Sur, Patricia Gail Dueñas of Cebu, Lyra Punsalan of Davao del Norte, Maureen Mungcal of Pampanga, Claire Anwen Cacal of Pangasinan, Amara Kalisha Salgado of Rizal and Natalie Jewel Reyes of the UAE.
Mutya ng Pilipinas continues international success
The new batch enters the competition following a successful international run for the organization.
Mutya ng Pilipinas Visayas 2025 Eunice Dimaculangan Deza finished second runner-up at Top Model of the World 2026 in Hurghada, Egypt.
Meanwhile, Mutya ng Pilipinas Luzon 2025 Lyndzy Blyss Maranan gave the Philippines another international crown when she won Miss Global Universe 2026 in Singapore.
Reigning Mutya ng Pilipinas Intercontinental Christina Vanhefflin of Leyte also represented the Philippines at Miss Intercontinental earlier this year.
These international performances add another layer of excitement to the 2026 national competition as the new candidates hope to earn their own opportunity to represent the Philippines abroad.
When is the Mutya ng Pilipinas 2026 coronation night?
The Mutya ng Pilipinas 2026 coronation night is scheduled for October 14 at the Playtime FilOil Auditorium in San Juan City.
The event will determine the new set of Mutya ng Pilipinas titleholders who will succeed the reigning queens.
With 37 candidates in contention and several strong regional and overseas representatives in the lineup, the competition is now entering its most important stage.
Who will emerge as the next Mutya ng Pilipinas queen?
We will find out on October 14.