Varvara Yakovenko

 Russia wins 53rd Miss InterContinental crown, Philippines in fifth place

By Earl D.C. Bracamonte

Varvara Yakovenko of Russia won the Miss InterContinental 2025 title in glitzy rites in Egypt. She was crowned by last year’s winner from Puerto Rico, Maria Cepero. She also won as Continental Queen of Europe and Miss Photogenic earlier in the competition.

Mutya ng Pilipinas InterContinental 2025 Christina Labareño Vanhefflin finished as 4th runner-up. She was also the recipient of the Power of Beauty award, which automatically fast-tracked her from the quarterfinals (Top 23), semifinals (Top 12), and final round (Top 7); alongside Miss Tanzania, winner of the People’s Choice award.

Miss Cuba, Lorena Suarez Lara, the Continental Queen of North America, was named 1st runner-up.

Vanessa Nattacha Wenk of Thailand, the Continental Queen of Asia & Oceania, was proclaimed as 2nd runner-up.

Online poll winner Simiyu-Faidha Kassim Kivoyo of Tanzania was declared 3rd runner up.

Miss Congeniality and Continental Queen of South America, Christiane Guerrero Marques das Neves of Ecuador took home the 5th runner-up title, while Best in Swimsuit winner and Continental Queen of Africa, Brilliant Mukanda Maroko of Kenya, completed the royal court as 6th runner-up.

Last year’s Philippine delegate, Alyssa Redondo, was also the recipient of the Power of Beauty distinction.

The other lucky delegates who made it as semifinalists were Ebena Ida Princesse (Cameroon), Shraddha Patel (India), Andreea Stan (Romania), Brooke Ellen Cohee (USA), and Sasha Perea (Colombia). These were the delegates who were chosen from the continents but failed to place in the final round.

While the delegates from Netherlands (Eva Aloisia van Bellen, Miss Popularity), Brazil (Maria Clara Marques), Nigeria (Emesiobi Dwelling Chisaoku), Macao (Katrina Wan), New Zealand (Kelsey Jean Turner), Mexico (Carolina Ruelas), Slovak Republic (Natalia Weissova), Spain (Raquel Castejon), Vietnam (Nguyen Thi Thu Ngan, Best in National Costume), Czech Republic (Anna Marie Marakova), and Germany (Shantal Schwarz) made it to the first cut.

The other delegate who won a special award, but was unplaced, was Udara Weerashinge (Miss Strength & Harmony) from Sri Lanka.

The 53rd Miss InterContinental coronation night unfolded from the V Luxury Resort, Hotel Sahl Hasheesh in Hurgada, Egypt and was beamed live to a global audience through the Miss InterContinental channel on YouTube.