Ifugao’s Valerie West stands out at Miss Universe PH national costume showcase

Ifugao, Philippines - Miss Ifugao Valerie Pawid West, representing the Filipino Society of New York, has continued to steal the spotlight with her incredible performance since the start of this year’s Miss Universe Philippines preliminaries – from swimsuit to interviews and beyond.

Valerie’s presentation during the national costume competition on Wednesday night was no different. Wearing an all-white ensemble, she embodied the spirit of Enkanto, specifically that of the forest.

Her costume, designed by the celebrated designer Renel Suarez from Pangasinan, was already a statement in itself, but the beauty queen’s ballet breathed life into it, channeling it in a powerful and impossibly graceful way.

The national costume donned by Valerie drew awe not only for the creation’s craftsmanship but for the story woven into it, which appears to be more of a tribute to the sacred connection of the Ifugao peoples to the earth and their ancestral traditions. In her social media, she described the deep cultural essence of her look as she shared:

“From the sacred breath of the Ifugao emerges a guardian not of flesh, but of legend, an Enkanto forged in the spirit of the highlands. Her crown bears the stories of time, her robes shimmer with the echoes of mountain prayers, and her silence humbles the wild. She is not crowned, she is consecrated, not merely a queen, but the pulse of the land, the voice of river hymns, the memory of rice gods. She does not walk, she moves as the earth itself remembers.”

With her latest performance, she gained more applause, proving that she belongs among the best contenders in the intensely competitive pageant.

Observers and experts have labeled her as a “dark horse” or a “silent killer”, owing to her competence, beauty and wow factor approach.

She is set to further amplify her causes as she competes with 65 other candidates for the coveted crown during the coronation tonight to be held at SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, where winners of the national costume and other categories will likewise be announced.