Filipino beauty queens reveal how much you would need to join a national pageant
The road to a national pageant crown takes more than beauty, confidence, and a killer walk—it also takes money.
In an interview on Fast Talk with Boy Abunda, beauty queens Ahtisa Manalo, Gazini Ganados, and Yllana Aduana opened up about just how much aspiring candidates may need to shell out to compete.
Manalo said that the budget depends on the output that you want. "Kung kukuha ka ng mga team na bigatin talaga, mas malaki 'yung magagastos mo compared kung meron ka talagang mga kakilala galing sa probinsya mo na maghe-help sa'yo."
"Siguro kaya mo mga P250,000. 'Yun 'yung lowest, but it can go up to a few millions kapag talagang tinodo mo. Like photoshoots and everyday, buo ka talaga," she added.
Host Boy Abunda also pointed out additional expenses, such as rent, commuting, food, and the like.
Ganados, on the other hand, noted how inflation has made things even more challenging for beauty queens.
"Compared to the pre-pandemic era, sobrang laki talaga 'yung difference right now. Given the fact that there are things happening around the world that's out of our control, mahihiya ka din na for the love lang 'yung bibigay mo sa kanila. To be fair, you have to compensate din talaga," she said.
"Siguro around half a mil, that's like the baseline para makapag-produce ka ng magandang content. Kasi ayaw mo rin naman lumaban na half-baked ka, 'di ba? You have to give it your all. If it's a one-time, go. Or else, just don't join na lang," she continued.
Competing in international competitions is more costly, as the expenses can go as high as P10 million, according to Aduana.
"Pero personally, I never got to spend more than P2 million in a national pageant. As much as I can talaga, dapat medyo mag-a-allot lang ng budget talaga. So, parang P2 million tops," she shared.
Manalo pointed out that beauty queens would be lucky if they could get the support of the local government.
"Ako, I was lucky that I was supported by my local directors and then the people around me. Tapos 'yung iba, ang tulong nila is, 'Okay, kami na magpapadamit sa'yo. Okay, huwag mo nang isipin itong damit na ito,'" she said.
Manalo, Ganados, and Aduana have all represented the Philippines in major pageants.
Manalo was crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2025 and went on to finish as third runner-up at the Miss Universe international stage.
Ganados, meanwhile, represented the country at Miss Universe 2019, where she placed in the Top 20 and won the Best National Costume Award.
Aduana was crowned Miss Philippines Earth 2023 and represented the country at Miss Earth 2023, where she finished as Miss Earth-Air.