By: Jenny Castro
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 12/1/25
On November 2, 2025, the Miss Philippines NW USA pageant crowned Jaia Aluning as its new titleholder, marking the beginning of her journey to the Miss Universe Philippines pageant to be held next year, the national competition that ultimately selects the country’s representative to the Miss Universe stage. Directed by JoAnne Aguilar, the Miss Philippines NW USA pageant serves as the official preliminary competition for Miss Universe Philippines in the Northwest region, providing young Filipinas with an opportunity to celebrate their heritage, showcase their talents, and pursue meaningful avenues for personal growth and national recognition.
Prior to becoming director, Aguilar’s daughter Jeanne Nicole Perez Lipa held the title of Miss Universe Philippines – Washington 2025 which began Aguilar’s involvement in the organization as she further explains, “As a parent directly involved in the process closely, I witnessed significant gaps in leadership, transparency, accountability, and overall support. These concerns weren’t just about my daughter, they were about every young woman and family trusting the process. “ Adding, “Because my husband, Juan Aguilar, and I work in the financial field, our passion has always been helping families build, protect, and sustain their financial wellbeing. During my daughter’s journey, I saw firsthand how families could be led into unnecessary expenses, debt, and financial stress simply because they weren’t informed, supported, or guided properly through the pageant process, and I knew that wasn’t right.”
Earlier this April, Aguilar was officially awarded the Miss Universe Philippines franchise for the State of Washington and went on to launch the Kingdom Builder Foundation along with the pageant where she seeks to provide support, fairness, education, and maintain transparency with those involved. “My purpose has always been clear, to protect candidates and their families, to restore trust in the pageant community, and to redefine what pageantry can be. For me, it isn’t just about crowns or titles, it’s about building a movement of purpose, leadership, and empowerment. It’s about creating a platform where young women feel seen, supported, guided, and celebrated where character, resilience, and authenticity matter just as much as stage presence,” Aguilar added.
For the inaugural year of the pageant under Aguilar’s leadership, the candidates were able to participate in many workshops including public speaking and interview workshops, runway training, financial empowerment sessions, professional photoshoots, fashion week appearances, and community engagement activities, “These experiences gave the candidates meaningful exposure, professional development, and real-world opportunities beyond the typical pageant preparation, “ Aguilar said.
The pageant, held at the Bellevue Meydenbauer Center featured live performances, evening gown and swimsuit segments along with national cultural and costume wear. Judges included were Jonas Gaffud, the President of the Miss Universe Philippines organization and one of the most influential figures in Philippine pageantry, along with Zeynab Koroma (Founder of Africa Fashion Week & Miss & Mister Africa North America Pageants), Miss Washington USA Carissa Erickson, Mister Supranational Philippines Kenneth Cabungcal, and Miss Central Washington Aishwarya Kumar.
The winner for this year’s pageant was awarded to Jaia Aluning, a Filippino-American actress, singer, and model with a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy from San Diego State University. Jaia has modeled for Victoria’s Secret Pink and has participated in Los Angeles Fashion Week for designer Rocky Gathercole. “She also recently began filming a new Filipino sci-fi drama alongside Stella Suarez, and is a singer-songwriter, with two original songs”Time ” and “Mad at Myself” available on all major platforms,” Aguilar said.
Aluning will head to the Miss Universe Philippines pageant next year and will spend the coming months preparing through training, community engagements, and official appearances. It should also be noted that Hanna Gozum earned the title of 1st Runner-Up, while Jayka Noelle Munsayac was named 2nd Runner-Up, both highly accomplished women who distinguished themselves as strong candidates throughout the competition.
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Aguilar is excited for what’s to come, and plans on continuing fostering a pageant community built on trust as she explains,“This was our inaugural year, and what makes The Miss Philippines Northwest USA special is that it was built with purpose. Our mission is to create a transparent, empowering, and financially safe pageant experience. One that uplifts Filipina women and protects families from unnecessary costs or exploitation. As leaders in the financial field, Juan and I integrated financial awareness and support into the program so every candidate could focus on growth, not financial stress. Further adding, “Most importantly, this pageant was a community effort. I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to our entire team, our performers, the candidates and their families, the Meydenbauer Center staff, our sponsors, our judges, and every volunteer and supporter who helped bring this vision to life. This first year was only possible because of your dedication, heart, and belief in what we’re building. We’re excited for what’s ahead and committed to making 2026 even bigger, stronger, and more meaningful for our community.”
Follow Miss Philippines NW USA here.
