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Doubt is the weight that breaks most queens. Fear of not winning. The endless comparisons to the stronger and seasoned. The list goes on until apprehension clothes the queen. Sultan Kudarat-born, Tacloban-raised Chelsea Fernandez carried hers like a three-year sabbatical—an exile that, by all unwritten rules, should have benched her before this year’s Miss Universe Philippines even began. But gaps don’t erase worth. Hers won her a crown.
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The Pause That Prepared Her
“My previous national experience was in 2022,” Fernandez shares. We recall her head-to-head challenge win at the Miss Globe stage that year. We remember her clinching a well-deserved spot in the Top 15 with the most vivid red on her lips. But that was 2022, and three years off the national stage can leave rust. The scene keeps moving while you’re paused—new girls, new gowns, new gloss. And the longer you’re out, the louder the question: do you still belong?
“The thought of diving into it again after all this time was daunting,” she continued. “A whirlwind of thoughts swirled in my mind as I contemplated submitting my application. I questioned myself and feared the prospect of failure. But I chose to confront my anxieties, and in doing so, I discovered the essence of true bravery.”
The Hidden Costs
Bravery, in her world, is never just about walking in heels, but walking in them while a crowd waits for you to trip. “That part,” Fernandez admits, “is something about national pageantry that most people don’t see.” That once the crown is within reach, so are the trolls.
And then there’s the reality show that not many speak of: budget. “To participate in a pageant, it’s essential to be well-prepared in every way, including financially,” she says.
Gowns don’t pay for themselves, glam doesn’t come cheap, and dreams don’t magically fund themselves unless you’re very lucky or very sponsored. “But you can definitely find ways to collaborate and do things pro bono, like arranging your hair and makeup, styling, or even your gown,” Fernandez advises aspiring queens. “The preparation for pageants usually lasts about three to four months, so it’s important to get ready for all these details.”
The Next Crown
We could easily romanticize the journey: how she rose above the doubt, how she found her fire again, and how she wore it all the way to the Miss Cosmo Philippines 2025 crown. But lest we forget the bigger statement her win gave—that there’s a much bigger stage ahead, and her win then is all but a prelude to the next.
“We’re taking a different approach,” she says of her upcoming campaign. “Miss Cosmo is truly unique, and as it raises the bar, we need to elevate our strategy as well.” Whether this means recalibrating her walk and frame or crafting another show-stopping red lip, she’s not coasting on past wins. She’s engineering her next one.
“I want to step onto that stage fully prepared and ready to represent my province, Sultan Kudarat, aiming for our first Miss Cosmo crown for our country.”
– Chelsea Fernandez on eyeing another win on the international stage
How? By putting her advocacy, not just aesthetics, at the forefront. “I will continue to concentrate on my passions, such as mangrove reforestation and empowering the youth, and highlighting the advantages they bring to our ecosystems.”
Three years, in hindsight, didn’t make her less ready. It made her more certain. Now, with a crown in hand and a second, even brighter one on the horizon, Waray queen Chelsea Lovely Cabias Fernandez proves that, while she took her sweet time, it all but makes her take the lead.
Photography by JERICK SANCHEZ. Art Direction by ANDREW ENCAPAS and BRIE VENTURA. Styling by ROKO ARCEO assisted by ERICA TEROL. Makeup by TEAM JIM RYAN ROSS. Hairstyling by CULTURE SALON. Sittings Edtor MIA CASTRO
Special thanks to MISS UNIVERSE PHILIPPINES and EMPIRE/MERCATOR TALENT AGENCY
