Category: Business Mirror

THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Wednesday warned drivers and operators of public utility vehicles (PUV) to honor the 20-percent student discount even during weekends and holidays, or else face fines or even revocation of their franchise.

In a statement, LTFRB Chairman Vigor Mendoza II said there hav been complaints that some PUVs do not honor the discount during long weekends and in recent class suspensions.

The warning was in line with President Marcos’ instruction to ensure the welfare of students.

He said the same policy applies to fare discounts for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

‘The law is very clear about this. There must be a discount to students even during holidays for as long as they are enrolled,’ Mendoza said.

He referred to Republic Act 11314, or ‘An Act Institutionalizing the Grant of Student Fare Discount Privileges on Public Transportation.’

Section 4 of the law states, ‘The fare discount granted under this Act shall be available during the entire period while the student is enrolled, including weekends and holidays.’

Under the law, the maximum penalty for PUV drivers is a three-month suspension of the driver’s license and a P1,000 fine for each offense.

On the other hand, PUV operators face a maximum fine of P15,000 and revocation of their Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC).

‘Kaya umayos kayo dahil kung hindi, ako mismo ang aayos ng mga kaso laban sa inyo para hindi lang kayo magmulta kung hindi mawalan kayo ng prangkisa [That’s why you must follow the law because if you don’t, I will personally file a case against you so that you’ll not only be fined, but you will lose your franchise],’ Mendoza said.

He called on students to file a complaint against erring PUVs through the LTFRB hotline 0956-761-0739 or through their official social media accounts.

‘All you have to do is to properly document it, and we will take care of the rest,’ he said.

THE 2025 edition of Bilang Siklista, the country’s largest citizen-led bicycle count, recorded 218,866 people on bicycles across 15 cities nationwide, the Mobility Awards convenors announced in a webinar on Thursday. The counts were held from July to September 2025 at 180 locations across the country during four-hour peak commuting periods, engaging 688 citizen volunteers.

This year marked several milestones in the institutionalization of bike counts: New partner cities Bacolod and Tagbilaran conducted their first-ever bike counts fully led by its city planning offices, while 15 recurring LGUs from previous iterations of Bilang Siklista organized its own volunteer training, building internal capacity and embedding bike counts as part of its annual practice. Select cities piloted digital counts using the Counterpoint app, testing available digital tools to improve accuracy and efficiency.

‘It is remarkable to see that cities are counting people who are moving through bicycles, and not just motorized vehicles, and citizen-volunteers show up despite poor weather conditions. It shows acts of collaborative leadership and cooperation amongst cities and citizens towards making our streets safer especially for those who have less on wheels’, said Celine Tabinga, national coordinator of Mobility Awards.

Metro Manila recorded the highest cyclist volumes nationwide, led by Quezon City, which recorded a daily average of 19,232 cyclists across seven count days, followed by Taguig (16,607), Mandaluyong (14,354), Marikina (11,363), and Pasig (10,410). In the Visayas, Mandaue led with 6,753 cyclists, followed by Iloilo City with 4,716. In Mindanao, Davao City recorded the highest volume with 3,506 cyclists.

‘The 218,000 people-on-bicycles counted represent only a fraction of people moved by bicycles, many of whom remain exposed to unsafe road conditions. Continued investment and urgent action are needed to protect people who rely daily on their bicycles, especially persons with disabilities, women, the elderly, and children who can move around safely and comfortably. This is our timely call as we will observe the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport starting next year. Governments, private sector need to prioritize movement of people that is safe, affordable and interconnected.’ said Aldrin Pelicano of MNL Moves.

Despite these achievements, the 2025 data highlights persistent challenges. Only 2.75 percent of observed cyclists were women, a further decline from previous years. In contrast, cities such as Tagbilaran (32 percent), Danao (29 percent), and Naga (16 percent) reported higher female participation. In the case of Naga and Danao, the higher shares were partly due to the inclusion of pedicab passengers counted alongside cyclists.

National trends also point to significant shifts in cycling activity. Across comparable count sites, cyclist numbers decreased by an average of 26 percent. The decline in volumes coincided with periods of heavy rainfall in Baguio, Naga, Quezon City, and Iloilo, illustrating how weather disruptions affect the count.

Temporary roadworks and uneven volunteer coverage may also have affected counts, underscoring the need for robust, all-weather infrastructure and more systematic data-collection practices. The sharper reductions in the Visayas and Luzon highlight potential vulnerabilities related to weather exposure, infrastructure gaps, and uneven policy support, while Mindanao’s smaller decline (-6.62%) might suggest different commuting patterns.

‘As we observe the Philippines’ Global Warming and Climate Change Consciousness Week, the 218, 000 people who moved around cities using low-carbon transport like bicycles are an everyday reminder of what hardworking Filipinos can do to help clean our air, and act against the growing greenhouse gas emissions coming from tailpipes of motorized vehicles,’ said Aimee Oliveros, Interim Branch Manager of The Climate Reality Project Philippines. ‘The least that we can do is to ensure that our roads are safe and inclusive for them.’

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) also expressed its support for Bilang Siklista, saying the bicycle count reports can support the Department’s efforts in promoting active mobility. ‘While there was an observed decline from last year’s count, we see it as a challenge to build more cycling infrastructure that is safe, reliable, and comfortable. This initiative will definitely help the government in prioritizing areas of development, and it is always an honor for us to collaborate with our NGO and civil society partners in advancing our shared cause,’ said Arch. Alvin John Pajo, Lead Planning Officer of the DOTr’s Active Transport Office.

WASHINGTON’S decision to exempt certain agricultural products from the reciprocal tariffs amid cost pressure in the United States will whet their appetite for local produce and hike the Philippines’s domestic farm output, according to agriculture groups.

This, after US President Donald Trump further modified the scope of the reciprocal tariffs, allowing certain farm goods to enter their country tariff-free, particularly those not locally produced in the US. This includes bananas, coffee, tea, and coconuts, among others.

The Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. (PCAFI) said the move bodes well for the country’s farm sector, which was previously levied a 19-percent tariff rate.

‘This is good news for us since our export products to the US will be more competitive,’ PCAFI President Danilo Fausto told the BusinessMirror on Wednesday. ‘We can anticipate increased demand, which will boost our local production.’

While the US government’s move could buoy domestic confidence, Sinag Executive Director Jayson Cainglet raised a caveat that Washington could still decide to lift the exemption.

‘It will [help the country’s farm exports to the US] during this suspension, but they could still unilaterally increase them,’ Cainglet told this newspaper.

‘This move wasn’t borne out of our bilateral negotiation with them. It was more because of a domestic concern on their part,’ he added.

A White House statement said its decision came after ‘the substantial progress in reciprocal trade negotiations’ and ‘current domestic demand for certain products, and current domestic capacity to produce certain products, among other things.’

Lower levy

Meanwhile, Cainglet also urged the government to push for the reduction in the current 19- percent reciprocal tariffs for Philippine goods other than those currently exempted.

‘Several countries have already made notable progress, just days ago, in their engagements with the US,’ he said.

‘What we are still awaiting from our trade negotiators is meaningful progress toward reducing the 19 percent reciprocal tariff, a benchmark that many other countries have already achieved.’

Frederick Go, Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs, on Tuesday said the government will continue negotiations to lower tariffs on other Philippine exports such as garments, travel accessories, leather goods, and furniture, which form part of the country’s overall shipments to the US.

Furthermore, Cainglet called on the government to clarify the zero-rated import duties on select US products under the agreement.

‘We also seek clarification on whether there is a formal commitment that a zero percent tariff on US imports will not be adopted, despite long-standing lobby from US meat and soya exporters,’ he said.

GLOBE Telecom, Inc. has signed a term loan facility worth JPY 20 billion (approximately P8 billion) with Mizuho Bank, Ltd., the telecommunications company said on Wednesday.

The loan will partially finance Globe’s capital expenditures, debt refinancing, and other general corporate requirements.

The facility comes as Globe pursues more prudent capital spending this year. The company invested approximately P31.4 billion in capex during the first nine months of 2025, down 23 percent from P41.0 billion in the same period last year.

Globe said the reduction reflects its focus on strategic capital management while continuing to channel resources toward essential network improvements, in line with its full-year capex guidance of below $1 billion.

The company’s cash capex-to-revenue ratio improved to 26 percent from 33 percent, while the capex-to-Ebitda ratio narrowed to 49 percent from 63 percent.

Globe said these improvements strengthen its positive free cash flow position and allow for targeted network initiatives for the remainder of the year.

Approximately 89 percent of capex was allocated to data-related projects, consistent with prior periods, reaffirming Globe’s commitment to advancing digital capacity and expanding connectivity nationwide.

Earlier, Globe President Carl Cruz said the company will likely retain its capex levels of ‘below $1 billion’ for 2026.

The 2026 target is a continuation of Globe’s capital optimization strategy aimed at strengthening free cash flow generation while maintaining essential network investments.

Globe’s net income dropped by 14 percent to P17.7 billion in the first nine months of 2025, while core net income stood at P15.5 billion compared to P17.6 billion in the same period last year.

EARDRMS is a boutique record label founded by creative-business pioneer Edge Pamute and renowned musician, producer, songwriter, director, and renaissance man Jay Ortega.

Rooted in Edge’s influential early work with MYX -where he and Toti Dalmacion helped shape the rise of iconic independent OPM acts such as Eraserheads, Rivermaya, Bamboo, as well as Jay’s musical legacy with bands such as Gnash, DRT (an all-star lineup with members of Razorback, and Wolfgang), Apartel with Ely Buendia, Holmes. Jay directed TV shows for both ABS-CBN and GMA, and conceptualized and directed live events for several brands and agencies. His longest tenure was with Livewire.

EARDRMS carries forward a legacy of discovering and elevating groundbreaking Filipino talent.

Edge said, ‘EARDRMS will cater to all genres, not just electronic/dance/house, contrary to the label pioneers’ musical DNA. Our label is positioned more to be the foremost purveyors of immaculate taste and impeccable sound. We are selectors of only the best of the best.’

EARDRMS’ releases draw from the feel and instincts of the label founders, honed and perfected by more than 30 years of exposure in the entertainment industry on both creative and corporate management sides.

The label’s first two album releases are ‘X-Mas ClassiX RemiXed,’ featuring some of the best artists in the scene today, and a special double album ‘Back2Back Non Stop,’ a Non Stop Mixed album never before done in the country, that focuses on iconic names Toti Dalmacion and Manolet Dario. Both releases are Limited Edition, High-Fidelity, Direct-to-Disc records.

Edge said, ‘We are starting a cultural movement, wherein we want to highlight the best Filipino artists, and hopefully take them to the world stage. It all begins with passion, and we are committed to making a difference.’

Vinyl is the keyword that mobilized the partners to put up the EARDRMS label. The chosen business model is vinyl on demand, designed to preserve the traditional record format in 33-1/3 rpm revered by collectors and audiophiles for delivering the warmth and clarity of the listening experience.

Each vinyl release will promote eclectic talents for people with more sophisticated tastes.

The label will also contribute to the discovery and eventual preservation of pieces of history, preventing vital music from getting lost in the ephemeral nature of modern pop music. In the endeavor to perpetuate music on vinyl, the boutique label will also archive precious moments and people in sound that evoke personal scenes and feelings with each spin of the vinyl platter. The record itself becomes a collectible physical artifact in high fidelity to discriminating music lovers.

Then there’s the business side to the product proposition. Jay said, ‘It’s a common expression: no guts, no glory, no money, no honey for the homey. We will make a buck out of our boutique label, but definitely not at the expense of the artist. We understand the struggles every recording artist goes through and we will certainly not be a part of their continuing ‘exploitation’ by the (mainstream) labels. We’re here to elevate Filipino artistry to the global stage. ‘

EARDRMS will have its unique formal launch on November 22, Saturday, at Back Alley, BGC, starting 5PM.

The ‘X-Mas ClassiX RemiXed’ features some of the best artists in the scene today, such as Vintageboy aka Dan Gil (Chilitees), Gabriel Lazaro, Anunak aka Red-I, I-Dren Artstrong, silverfilter, Scrambled Edge, Jay Ortega, and Abdel Aziz.

The special double album ‘Back2Back Non-Stop’ focuses on iconic names Toti Dalmacion and Manolet Dario. It’s a Non-Stop Mixed album which has never been done before in the country, and likely all of Asia. Both releases are Limited Edition, High-Fidelity, Direct-to-Disc records.

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) remains determined to hit its full-year revenue target of P958.714 billion despite declining collections and the lingering rice import ban, according to its top official.

On the sidelines of the Senate plenary debate on the 2026 national budget, Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno said the BOC is ‘not yet giving up’ in meeting its revenue target. ‘If we concede already, it might worsen.’

Nepomuceno said the BOC is searching for other sources of revenue, such as petroleum products, that can compensate for expected losses amid the extension of the rice import ban.

This comes after the BOC recorded a 4.1- percent year-on-year drop in its collections in October 2025, generating P83.322 billion from P86.885 billion a year ago, dampened by lower import volumes and declining global oil prices.

Nepomuceno told BusinessMirror earlier that the rice import ban also contributed to the decline, with rice tariffs typically contributing P3 billion to P4 billion for the government every month.

With the hefty P958.714-billion target, Nepomuceno said the BOC will ask the Cabinet-level Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) to adjust their collection goal this year. (See: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2025/11/13/boc-seeks-revised-revenue-goal-after-collections-plunge/).

Data from the BOC-Revenue Collection Monitoring Group showed that rice tariff collections fell to P13.373 trillion from January to September this year.

This was down by 51.73 percent from the P27.705 billion it raised in the same period of last year.

The BOC’s nine-month collection this year is the final count of rice tariff collections since the rice importation ban, which began on September 15, will be extended until the end of the year.

It should be noted that the tariff rate on rice was reduced to 15 percent from 35 percent last June 20, 2024, under Executive Order 62, before the rice import ban took effect.

The reduced rice tariff rate has already weighed down the BOC’s collections since last year, as revenue losses have reached P29.451 billion from July 2024 to June 2025.

‘We will do our best to hit the targets despite the extended rice importation ban. We will pursue having a more efficient collection effort,’ Nepomuceno said.

JUAN GOMEZ DE LIAÑO comes in handy with his international play acumen for the men’s national team that faces Guam twice starting next week in the FIBA 2027 World Cup Asia Qualifiers.

‘He’s playing very, very well and his skills equate to the international level,’ said Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone on his latest addition to the pool that will be eventually cut to a final 12 for the away game in Guam on November 28 and the home match at the Ateneo Blue Eagle Gym on December 1.

‘His pick and roll is doing extremely well and read it very well,’ Cone said. ‘He’s a little more offensive oriented than Scottie [Thompson] and Chris Newsome, so he kind of brings a different dimension to the team.’

The 6-foot Converge guard out of University of the Philippines was injected into the pool, a surprise move by Cone who earlier had issues on the player making a waning seconds shot in a Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup game.

Cone, however, said that defense remains the priority for the team.

‘He’s really a good defender too, but he brings more in terms of scoring and shootings, and he is a tremendous passer.just really, really good offensive player and a very much willing defender,’ Cone added.

Gomez de Liaño and big man Quentin Milloria-Brown were at Gilas’s practices at the Ateneo The team got a visit on Thursday from Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas’s newly-elected president and executive director Erika Dy with naturalization candidate Benny Boatwright.

‘We really appreciate them to come over and talk to the team,’ Cone said. ‘We need to get some continuity, have time to look at videos and be together more.’

The team plays Australia and New Zealand in February and March next year for the second window of the qualifiers.

Fake news.

This was the warning of the Department of Health (DOH) as the vaping industry said in its latest marketing strategy that vape and other novel nicotine products are safe.

‘It’s fake news that vapes are safer than cigarettes,’ Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said.

With this, the DOH is strengthening the campaign to protect the Filipinos against smoking and vaping.

COP 11

Meanwhile, Parents Against Vape (PAV) said that alarms have already been sounded that the tobacco industry is attempting to influence the proceedings and outcome of the Eleventh Session of the Conference of the Parties to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (COP 11) will be held from November 17 to 22, 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland.

‘Its purpose is to discuss and decide on measures to achieve the objectives of the WHO FCTC, including the prevention of nicotine addiction,’ PAV said in a statement.

The Illusion of ‘safe’ smoke

PAV assailed the seductive pitch of vaping firms which stated: ‘It’s safer,’ ‘It’s cleaner,’ ‘It helps people quit cigarettes.’

‘But the reality is far more sinister. The industry pours resources into obscuring harms, funding favorable research, and influencing policies to appear legitimate. The increase in e-cigarette use is not because smokers switched,’ PAV said.

Evidence shows the majority of vape users are the youth, many of whom never smoked, PAV said.

‘This proves that vaping is not merely an alternative for smokers; it has become a gateway for a new generation of nicotine addicts. We see the consequences: curiosity leads to experimentation, experimentation to addiction, and addiction to long-term lung damage, nicotine dependence, and even a gateway to conventional smoking.’

Industry tactics

The WHO FCTC report underscores how industry tactics have shifted from open confrontation to sophisticated influence:

Lobbying governments and national delegations;

Infiltrating negotiations via front groups and industry-funded ‘independent’ voices;

Co-opting scientific research to sow doubt; and

Pushing misleading economic narratives (jobs, taxation, farming).

Strong regulation matters

PAV pointed out that if the vape industry is allowed to influence health policies, the result will damage to children’s lungs, minds, and futures.

‘The proposed policies using ‘harm reduction’ to cut vape taxes don’t protect children; they protect industry profits. This is not harm reduction, but harm promotion,’ PAV said.

Hence, the PAV is demanding:

Zero compromise on youth protection: Age limits, flavor bans, plain packaging, and strict marketing controls must be non-negotiable.

Full transparency and removal of industry influence: Policymakers must fully implement protections from industry interference. WHO FCTC Article 5.3 must be honored in practice, not just rhetoric.

Strong enforcement and accountability: Weak laws are meaningless. Enforcement must have teeth: fines, bans, and real consequences for violations.

Education and awareness: Children deserve honest information, not half-truths spun by PR firms. Parents, teachers, and schools must be partners in countering marketing lies.

Vigilance and civic engagement: Parents must stay alert. When regulators convene or draft laws are published, parents must occupy those spaces, demand accountability, and resist industry influence.

PAV also called on all stakeholders to resist industry influence.

‘ As parents, we will not allow big tobacco or big vape to rewrite the rules behind closed doors. Let every negotiation, regulation, and law bear witness. When it comes to our children’s futures, we will not yield,’ PAV concluded

The Philippine Universal Health Care (UHC) Law guarantees equitable access to quality health services and essential medicines for all Filipinos. However, complex gaps persist.

Recognizing that bridging this divide requires collective action, leaders from the government, academe, civil society, patient groups, and the private sector recently convened. Their mission was to identify actionable reforms focused on achieving a resilient supply chain, sustainable financing, and reliable data to ultimately unlock better and faster access to innovative medicines and vaccines for everyone.

On November 4, 2025, the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP) and UHC Watch hosted a multi-sectoral dialogue aimed at advancing Universal Health Care for better access to innovative medicines and vaccines, held at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) in Makati City.

Present at the event were representatives from the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

PHAP Executive Director Teodoro Padilla emphasized that medicine access ‘is not only a health issue; it is a systems issue,’ highlighting the need for strong financing, supply chains, and regulatory systems to support UHC.

Two key reports

TWO recent, complementary studies-ADB-ThinkWell’s ‘Strengthening the Medicine Access Pathway’ and PHAP’s ‘Pathways to Inclusive Access’-provide crucial evidence and recommendations for improving UHC. These reports anchored the dialogue, as both underlined the importance of policy coherence, evidence-based decision-making, and strategic public-private collaboration to strengthen UHC implementation.

The ADB-ThinkWell study revealed significant barriers to medicine access, citing issues such as regulatory bottlenecks, fragmented procurement, and supply chain vulnerabilities. To address this, the study recommended not only stronger governance, FDA modernization, and strategic purchasing, but also establishing stronger, coordinated institutional mechanisms to overcome fragmentation and achieve effective, universal medicine access.

PHAP’s research, on the other hand, focused on financial and operational needs, highlighting the necessity to increase health budgets, strengthen procurement using real-time data, and integrate real-world evidence into Health Technology Assessment (HTA) to accelerate patient access.

Insights from key government agencies

DBM Undersecretary Rolando Toledo cited infrastructure investment and procurement reform as keys to achieving UHC, particularly through the new Government Procurement Act (RA 1209). The landmark law introduces digital platforms like eMarketplace, promotes pooled procurement, and shifts government purchasing from simply selecting the lowest bid to awarding the most advantageous and responsive offer, one that values quality, innovation, and transparency.

For her part, Atty. Sofia C. Yanto-Abad, OIC Director General, Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB), said the new Government Procurement Act is transforming public procurement from a bureaucratic service into a strategic, professionalized governance function to achieve better health outcomes.

Strengthening supply chain

From the DOH, Dr. Fides Buenafe shared updates on strengthening supply chain systems and expanding the Electronic Logistics Management Information System (eLMIS) down to local facilities by 2026. PhilHealth’s Dr. Alfred De Dios presented the YAKAP initiative, aimed at shifting the system toward preventive, primary care.

DTI Undersecretary Mary Jean Pacheco reinforced that the framework for effective supply chain management exists; the priority now is implementation and fast collaboration across sectors.

‘The formula of supply chain management is already there. The question is the execution of it. And how quickly we, as government and the private sector, will agree to work together,’ she continued.

Closing the dialogue, Padilla stressed that delivering UHC requires evidence-based policymaking, coordination, and accountability. He emphasized three critical priorities: strengthening health financing and strategic purchasing, improving procurement and supply chain systems, and harnessing data for informed healthcare decisions.

Maria Ahtisa Manalo of the Philippines and Praveenar ‘Veena’ Singh of Thailand have a similar pageant trajectory. Both made several attempts to capture their country’s top crowns, finally winning this year. And at the national costume show and the preliminary competitions on Wednesday, November 19, both delivered exceptional performances.

The Finnish-Filipina Ahtisa aims for the Philippines’ fifth crown, after Gloria Diaz in 1969, Margarita Moran in 1973, Pia Wurtzbach in 2015 and Catriona Gray in 2018. Meanwhile, Veena, of Indian descent, aims for Thailand’s third, after Porntip Nakhirunkanok in 1988 and 1965’s Apasra Hongsakula, who, as pageant legend has it, was trained by the recently departed Queen Sirikit.

First Timers

The outgoing queen, Victoria Kjær Theilvig, is the first winner from her country of Denmark. From this year’s batch of 119 contenders, the ones most likely to be first-time winners from their country -and who were standouts at preliminaries- are Costa Rica’s Mahyla Roth, Croatia’s Laura Gnjatovic, Estonia’s Brigitta Schaback, Italy’s Lucilla Nori, Malta’s Julia Cluett, Senegal’s Camilla Diagne, Sri Lanka’s Lihasha White, Turks and Caicos Islands’ Bereniece Dickenson, Côte d’Ivoire’s Olivia Yacé, Guadeloupe’s Ophély Mézino, and Vietnam’s Huong Giang Nguy?n.

Haiti’s Melissa Sapini wore a national costume created by Kennedy Jhon Gasper and an evening gown by Rian Fernandez during preliminaries, while Ecuador’s Nadia Mejía was Miss California USA 2016 and placed in the Top 5 at Miss USA 2016.

Crossover Queens

Queen Victoria herself competed at Miss Grand international 2022, placing in the Top 20. From the Class of 2025, the queens who have competed at other international pageants, and therefore, are fully equipped to snatch the crown are:

Belgium’s Karen Jansen, Miss World 2025 Top 40; Canada’s Jaime Vandenberg, Miss Earth Canada 2018, Miss World 2023 Top 40; Colombia’s Vanessa Pulgarín, Miss International Colombia 2017; Costa Rica’s Mahyla Roth, Miss International 2022 Top 15; El Salvador’s Giulia Zanoni, Miss Grand International 2024 Top 20; Great Britain’s Danielle Latimer, Miss Grand Wales 2015;

Guatemala’s Raschel Paz, Miss Grand Guatemala 2023; Miss Universe Latina Yamilex Hernandez, Miss International Dominican Republic 2023, MI 2023 Top 15; Latvia’s Meldra Rosenberg, Miss Latvia Supranational 2025;

Moldova’s Mariana Ignat was Miss Supra Germany 2023, Miss Charm Germany 2024 and Miss Charm 2024 Top 10; Netherlands’ Nathalie Mogbelzada, Miss International Netherlands 2017. Miss Supra Netherlands 2019/ MS 2019 Top 25; Miss Grand 2021 Top 20. Palestine’s Nadeen Ayoub, Miss Earth 2022 Water; Paraguay’s Yanina Gomez, Miss World Paraguay 2025;

Vietnam’s Vietnam’s Huong Giang Nguy?n was Miss International Queen 2018, the biggest pageant for trans women in the world.

The biggest threats from this group, however, are the queens who previously competed at Miss World. Miss Universe winners such as Georgina Rizk (1971), Angela Visser (1989), Michelle McLean (1992), Mpule Kwelagobe (1999), Catriona Gray (2018), Andrea Meza (2020) and Sheynnis Palacios (2023) all failed to win the Miss World crown.

In 2025, the strongest Miss World alumnae are Côte d’Ivoire’s Olivia Yacé, who was Miss World 2021 Second Runner-up; and Guadeloupe’s Ophély Mézino, who was Miss World France 2019 and Miss World 2019 First Runner-up.

Ahtisa’s Biggest Threats

Besides Veena of Thailand, Ahtisa’s roadblocks to the crown are from nations which has already produced winners such as Argentina’s Aldana Masset, Chile’s Inna Moll, Mexico’s Fátima Bosch, Nicaragua’s Itza Castillo, Puerto Rico’s Zashely Alicea, USA’s Audrey Eckert, and Venezuela’s Stephany Abasali, who was always clad in Michael Cinco Couture but opted for Leo Almodal during the preliminaries.

In her astonishing national costume and haute-couture evening gown by Pampanga designer Mak Tumang, who created Catriona’s now iconic gowns, Ahtisa was unstoppable at preliminaries. I’m still hoping, though, that the ravishing gowns made by Val Taguba especially for her, will still be showcased at the Impact Challenger Hall, Pak Kret, Nonthaburi, Thailand.