The Miss Universe Philippines-Quezon City is happening for the first time ever! It is keen to redefine pageantry by welcoming women of all kinds, including a 69-year-old fashion designer, a Philippine Air Force reservist, a former UP Pep Squad captain, and a missionary.
Indeed, 2024 started with a bang among Filipino pageant fans as MUPh – QC revealed its 15 contestants last January 9. Hoping to find a queen to follow in the footsteps of Michele Gumabao (2021) and Mary Eileen Gonzales (2023), this is a surprising first for Quezon City as it holds an official competition to crown its own finalist on the Miss Universe Philippines stage.
Representing the Philippines’ City of Stars and Metro Manila’s largest city that has become a Department of Trade and Industry Hall of Famer for being the country’s most competitive, highly urbanized city, Quezon City hopes to crown its Miss Universe Philippines 2024 finalist with no less than a prestigious and glittery affair.
MUPh – QC follows its much talked about digital launch with the preliminary competition on February 1, 2024, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m, at the TriNoma Activity Center. The show will be open to the public, with Brian Pineda as host and 2021 Tawag ng Tanghalan Champion JM Yosures as performer.
The MUPh – QC finals will be staged at the Quezon Ballroom of SEDA Vertis North. Even more star-studded than the preliminaries, the show features Ryan Tresplacios as host, Alab Poi Fire and LED Dancer, and Mister Supranational 2023 semifinalist Johannes Rissler as performers. Aside from that, Miss Universe 2019 semifinalist Gazini Ganados and Miss Universe Top 5 finalist Beatrice Luigi Gomez will have a special appearance on that night. For more details including ticket prices, follow Miss Universe Philippines – Quezon City on Facebook.
“Yet, the mission of producing a purpose-driven pageant outweighs simply holding a spectacle,” says Brand Republic PH – the proudly Quezon City-established and based boutique marketing agency mounting Miss Universe Philippines – Quezon City.
From left to right: Earl Santos, Markus Dayot, Jonas Gaffud, Samcey Supsup-Lee,
Voltaire Tayag, Jofel Gaddi, and Mario Garcia
“Our vision for Miss Universe Philippines – Quezon City is for people to focus more on the inspiring life stories of our candidates rather than on how they should look a certain way based on the usual beauty ideals,” says Markus Dayot, Brand Republic’s Chief Creative Officer.
“As Miss Universe is the ultimate platform for women empowerment, for us at Brand Republic, realizing that vision requires a real practice of inclusivity. We believe having this diverse group of contestants would allow us to continue challenging our ideas on which types of women should be celebrated on the Miss Universe stage.”
“Brand Republic spotlights the relatability of this year’s MUPh – QC contestants, making them very effective in inspiring other people,” stresses Dayot. Thus, he adds, “The pageant’s theme ‘Stars Light the Universe’ comes very fitting with the goal of selecting a winner who can really be a positive influence to her city, country, and the universe.”
“As we all know, Quezon City shines in many ways – from education as we are the home of many of the world’s top universities, to innovation with Maginhawa and Tomas Morato among other hubs as the best incubators of ideas, to opportunities given the thriving business centers that help in the economy,” says Dayot.
One way Brand Republic is making this pageant beyond the ordinary is by assembling a council to teach the Miss Universe Philippines Quezon City contestants key skills – from personal branding to financial freedom. The council is a select team of top executives and personalities from the country’s most successful companies and institutions like Unilever, Nestlé, Philippine Airlines, Sun Life, Belo, and the University of the Philippines. Jan Quijano, Miss Universe 2022 R’bonney Gabriel’s trainer himself takes the role of trainer to the ladies.
“We are all excited not just for Quezon City residents, but also for the whole Philippines and the entire world to get to know our contestants more in the coming days. Each of our Miss Universe Philippines Quezon City contestants carries a story full of life lessons that a lot of women can definitely learn from,” says Brand Republic’s Chief Executive Officer Jofel Gaddi.
“Brand Republic boasts a portfolio of creative executions and campaigns with the goal of showcasing everything Filipino-inspired and anything that inspires Filipinos. We believe that the stories of our Miss Universe Philippines – Quezon City – each a queen in their own right – will accomplish the same. These lessons, when shared, would provide the most impactful moments for Filipinas all over the world – especially those struggling even just to be seen or finding opportunities to be finally empowered. This is their moment.”
