What Katrina Llegado accomplished for PH at Miss Supranational 2026

Katrina Llegado has made history in Poland by becoming the second Filipino woman to claim the Miss Supranational crown at the recent staging of the international pageant.

Her victory came 13 long years since Binibining Pilipinas Mutya Johanna Datul scored the Philippines’ first-ever victory at the fifth edition of the competition held in Belarus in 2013.

But aside from being the first representative from the Philippines to win in Polish soil, and becoming the first recipient of the new ‘Fioletowa’ crown, Llegado believes she was able to accomplish more for her beloved country on the international stage.

Article continues after this advertisement

“I was able to show what Filipinos are really like. We are very warm, we are resilient, we are hardworking. I think they saw the character of a Filipino woman,” Llegado told Inquirer Entertainment in an interview after her victory press conference at Hilton Manila in Pasay City on Aug. 28.

FEATURED STORIES

ENTERTAINMENT

ENTERTAINMENT

ENTERTAINMENT

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

She won the crown in Poland on July 31 (Aug. 1 in Manila), and only made her first public appearance in the Philippines as the newly-crowned winner on Aug. 27 when she came with 2026 Mister Supranational Pedro Cordero at the airport.

Cordero, the second Mister Supranational winner from Spain, arrived in Manila to attend the homecoming and victory events prepared for Llegado. He was joined by members of the organization, including owner Gerhard von Lipinski.

“I hope I was able to represent the Philippines well by showing the warmth of the Filipino. And I think it showed because the organization really loves the Philippines. And we can’t wait to welcome them in the coming days,” Llegado said.

Article continues after this advertisement

A victory parade was scheduled for her on Saturday, Aug. 29, at the Mall of Asia complex in Pasay City, but it got cancelled because of inclement weather. Another parade is scheduled for her in Taguig City on Sept. 5.

Llegado delivered a heartfelt answer during the final round of the competition, with many observers claiming that her admission of being “perfectly imperfect” had sealed her fate.

Article continues after this advertisement

She said her victory sends one message: “We should never aim for perfection. We should just always keep on showing up, trying to be better each day. It’s okay to fail, because if you fail you learn. And that’s the most important lesson in life.”

Llegado added that being Miss Supranational is about aspiring for growth, and inspiring others to elevate. “It’s beyond pageantry. So if you have that mindset you’ll definitely go a long way,” she said.               

She also shared with Inquirer Entertainment how supportive her Brazilian predecessor Eduarda Braum is for her victory. “When she was crowning me, during that time, she was telling me, ‘enjoy this reign, it will be a huge responsibility, your life will change. I will always be here for you,'” Llegado said.

“And even in my phone, she gave me a photo and she wrote a letter there that she will always be with me. Anytime I need her, just message her. That’s really the sisterhood we built in Supranational. And I’m so, so grateful for Eduarda,” the Filipino queen continued.

Llegado said she is already looking forward to being the inspirational queen to the 2027 batch of candidates, like how Braum was for her and the 2026 class of Miss Supranational delegates.

“I can’t wait to be that one. I hope I will also be an inspiration to others and I hope that by my stories I will be able to be relatable, just being myself, authentic,” she said.

“I hope the other queens who will follow the footsteps, whoever will compete in Miss Supranational, will really be just there to enjoy the experience, be there to show who they are, because that will make her a winner,” Llegado continued.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.

Your subscription has been successful.

The newly-crowned queen said she would like her victory to help bring international attention to the pursuits of Project Pearls in Tondo, Manila, in helping the poor enjoy better lives through PEARLS–Peace, Education, Aspiration, Respect, Love, and Smiles. /edv