For Miss Supranational 2026 Katrina Llegado, purple is truly a lucky color

Katrina Llegado went to Poland with the fervent hope that she would finally reclaim the Miss Supranational crown for the Philippines. And she revealed that there were signs that hinted that her wish would indeed be granted.

Although admitting that she did not have any expectations going into the competition, to win the crown 13 years since Mutya Datul posted the country’s first-ever victory was a wish that motivated her in her journey.

In an online interview with Inquirer Entertainment, the beauty entrepreneur and model from Taguig City revealed that she had felt she had a strong chance of winning the moment she set foot in Poland. And, looking back, there also had been signs that made her feel that she could be in for a favorable outcome.

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Nobody from her team knew that the Miss Supranational pageant would be rebranding with the new “Fioletowa” crown featuring purple stones, a departure from the blue jewels that adorned the previous crowns. But the gown that designer Rian Fernandez presented to Llegado incorporated purple hues.

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“That was purely coincidence. [Fernandez] had a vision of the gown on me. And of course I’m happy I collaborated with him and his team. I think it’s also a sign. If it’s really meant for you it will come to you,” Llegado said.

Another sign, for her, was that she had been listening to Filipino singer Matty Juniosa’s now viral rendition of the song “Purple Rain” for his “Britain’s Got Talent” audition, which earned for him a “golen buzzer” from judge Simon Cowell. Now based in Glasgow, the singer is one of Llegado’s closest friends from De La Salle University.

“And what a coincidence, really, that’s the song they played during the crowning, the first walk. And also my gown had purple in it, and the crown was purple. There really were so many signs. And I was just very, very grateful. And it was my mom’s birthday the day before the coronation night,” Llegado shared.

She revealed that, after her coronation, she called Juniosa to share her observations about the signs revolving around her victory, and to tell him that she had been listening to his interpertation of “Purple Rain” while in Poland for the pageant.

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Of course, Llegado earned her victory not based on luck alone. She had more than a year to prepare for the international pageant since receiving The Miss Philippines-Supranational title after landing in the finals of the 2025 Miss Universe Philippines competition in May last year.

Aside from that, her experience as a veteran of national and international pageants has helped her gain the maturity that made her approach the Miss Supranational competition with a calm and quiet confidence, something that allowed her to show her fun side, and the Filipino brand of warmth and kindness that she said the people in Poland appreciated.

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“Since Day 1 they have been observing the candidates already, with or without activities, even in simple things such as being in our hotel, the way you act with your chaperones, that really mattered. What the people see is just the one night staging of Miss Supranational. But what they don’t see are the weeks of being able to be with the organization,” Llegado said.

Armed with all the knowledge and the experience that she gained from her pageant quest in Poland, Llegado advises her successor Allyson Hetland to start peparing this early so that by the time she gets to the competition, everything will already be in order. This, she said, will help the Kapampangan nurse to just enjoy the whole experience while in the competition.

Llegado is also looking forward to spending her reign championing the causes promoted by Projects Pearls in Tondo, Manila, as well as the Sasakawa Leprosy Initiative that the Miss Supranational Organization has been supporting.

The queen will also have her much-awaited homecoming festivities later this month, and this has been something that she said she has been looking forward to since winning the crown.

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“This win is not just for me and my team, but for all of the Filipinos out there. I hope that by sharing this achievement, this success, it would really give light, and hope to the difficult time that we are experiencing in the Philippines. I just can’t wait to celebrate with you all,” Llegado said. /ra