MUPH gets heat for using AI in 2026 delegates’ swimsuit showcase

The excitement of pageant fans for this year’s edition of the Miss Universe Philippines competition grew even more with the recent release of the delegates’ swimsuit showcase.

All 51 of the 2026 participants displayed their confidence in swimwear of their own choice in a series of photographs that were edited into moving images, and posted on the national pageant’s social media pages on Sunday, March 8.

Last month, after the delegates were officially presented to the public, the organizers released their headshots, ushering the official commencement of the annual competition. This week, the battle heats up further.

Delegates who were initially perceived as frontrunners have proven why they are serious contenders for the crown through the two releases, while others who were earlier coasting under the radar are raising the possibility of an upset.

Former Miss Earth-Water titleholders Bea Millan-Windorski of La Union and Roxie Baeyens of Baguio showed experience before the camera in their respective swimsuits that both featured cutouts.

Miss International 2023 runner-up Nicole Borromeo of Cebu Province and returning candidate Apriel Smith of Cebu City were both in white swimwear, also with cutouts. Another returnee, 2020 runner-up Ysabella Ysmael of Taguig City wore black and tiptoed in her ballet shoes.

National pageant newbie Allyson Hetland of Pampanga and international veteran Ashley Subijano of Luisiana, Laguna, meanwhile showed legs for days, their statuesque stature unmistakable in their shots.

Iloilo City’s Zestah Espinosa, meanwhile, is slowly crawling her way up the leaderboard with a nude-toned latex swimsuit that complimented her dusky complexion, her hair kept smooth and straight.

Some fans, however, raised their disappointment in the use of artificial intelligence to make the still images move. Several netizens said it was unnecessary as the photos were already meticulously produced as is.

Another netizen said that if the organization wanted to post moving images in the first place, they could have asked the ladies to submit videos instead.

Many others, however, seemed to ignore the use of AI and just cheered on their respective bets, or expressed their appreciation for the ones that caught their attention.

The 2026 Miss Universe Philippines swimsuit show will be held at Aqua Boracay later this month, while the crucial preliminary competition will be filmed behind closed doors before the month ends.

This year’s competition is looking for the national successor to Ahtisa Manalo, who was third runner-up in the 74th Miss Universe pageant held in Thailand last year.

The eventual winner will be sent to the 75th edition of the international competition that will be held in Puerto Rico in November, and try to post the Philippines’ fifth Miss Universe victory. /edv