LOOK: PH's Gabbi Carballo wears a Sierra Madre-inspired national costume at Miss Eco International 2026 pageant
Philippine representative Gabbi Carballo proudly showcased a Sierra Madre-inspired national costume at the Miss Eco International pageant, where she finished in the Top 21.
Created by designer Kenneth Malayka Yamas, the ensemble paid homage to nature, showcasing an A-line silhouette with an open-front skirt detailed with imagery of cascading water and forest trees.
It held deep personal significance for Carballo, a Cebu native passionate about environmental advocacy.
"When Super Typhoon Uwan threatened Luzon earlier this year, I feared for my friends in Manila. But they were safe—because standing before them was the Sierra Madre," she wrote on her Instagram.
"The Sierra Madre is more than a mountain range. It is the Philippines’ natural shield, silently weakening powerful typhoons before they reach millions of lives," she continued.
Carballo said that the costume is a "tribute to nature’s quiet strength and a reminder that when we destroy our forests and ecosystems, we destroy the very things protecting us."
Carballo concluded her pageant journey during the grand finale in Egypt on Saturday, May 23 (Philippine time).
The night ended with Palmira Ruiz of Mexico being crowned Miss Eco International 2026, succeeding the reigning queen, Alexie Brooks of the Philippines.