Three global queens to host Miss Sultan Kudarat 2025 at Kalimudan Festival

GENERAL SANTOS CITY ( MindaNews / 11 November ) — Three global beauty queens are set to share one stage in Sultan Kudarat for what could be the province’s most dazzling night of the year.

In a Facebook post Monday afternoon, Governor Datu Pax Ali S. Mangudadatu announced that Catriona Gray, Christine Julia “CJ” Opiaza, and Opal Suchata Chuangsri will host the Miss Sultan Kudarat 2025 coronation night on November 20 at the Sultan Kudarat Provincial Gymnasium.

The hosts of Miss Sultan Kudarat 2025. Image from the Facebook post of Gov. Pax Ali Sangki Mangudadatu 

Gray, who won the Miss Universe crown in 2018, remains one of the Philippines’ most celebrated beauty queens, known for her advocacy on education and HIV awareness. Opiaza, meanwhile, made history as the first Filipina Miss Grand International after being elevated to the title in 2024. She was originally the first runner-up before the pageant organization dethroned the winner. Similarly, Chuangsri became Thailand’s first ever Miss World titleholder earlier this year.

Themed “Beauty Without Borders,” the pageant is among the major highlights of the Kalimudan Festival, the province’s annual celebration marking its 53rd founding anniversary on November 22.

This year, twenty-five candidates will vie for three crowns – Miss Sultan Kudarat-Universe, Miss Sultan Kudarat-World, and Miss Sultan Kudarat-Grand. 

The winners traditionally represent the province in national competitions and serve as ambassadors for tourism, culture, and women’s empowerment. 

Mangudadatu, in his post, described this year’s coronation as a “grand celebration of beauty, grace, and empowerment,” aligned with Sultan Kudarat’s ongoing efforts to promote local talent and culture on a larger stage.

This year’s Kalimudan festivities also feature pop acts such as SB19, BGYO, and Sandara Park, part of the governor’s bid to elevate the province’s cultural festival to a world-class celebration.

Established in 1999, the Kalimudan Festival – from the Maguindanaon word kalimudan, meaning gathering – is one of Mindanao’s longest-running cultural festivals. 

Last year, the celebration drew an estimated 450,000 attendees, reflecting the festival’s growing reputation as one of Mindanao’s biggest cultural events. (Guia A. Rebollido / MindaNews )