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Standing out among 10 candidates, the mental health advocate is a force to be reckoned with come the national pageant
The stars lit up the universe anew as the winner of Miss Universe Philippines – Quezon City (MUPH – QC) was officially crowned last February 2. Zoe Hinay Honeyman bested 9 other hopefuls at the highly anticipated Coronation Night at the SM Skydome in SM North EDSA, Quezon City.
The 23-year-old is the first to represent Barangay Tatalon, which boasts a population of over 55,000. But as many pageant fans know, she is also the first Filipina-Australian to be selected for the title.
Zoe hails from the land Down Under and holds a double degree in Business Psychology and Human Resources. She is relatively new to the pageant scene, having competed in Miss Philippines Australia in 2024. Winning MUPH – QC, she says, is a step closer to both her dream of becoming Miss Universe Philippines and that of her late grandfathers who wanted her to join Miss Universe.
In the weeks leading up to coronation night, she openly discussed her mental health advocacy and how the “Stars Light The Universe” theme aligns with her core beliefs. As Zoe put it, “To be a light in the universe you must acknowledge that there is of course darkness, recognize that it is there, but choose to shine through it.” She also expressed her passion for volunteer work. “Serving my community not only aids my personal growth but also fuels my passion to be a source of connection.”
Zoe proudly acknowledged her Pinay roots throughout the competition. Her Personality Question during the finale not only challenged the notion that Pinoys born abroad are not truly Filipino, but tested her ability to answer in the Filipino language. Being the least fluent of the girls when it came to the national language, she powered through and left a lasting impression on the judges.
She touched on this subject again during the first part of the formal Q&A. Miss Universe Asia Chelsea Manalo, best known as the first Filipina Black American queen, asked her what kind of beauty she thinks society should start to appreciate. Zoe easily resonated with this, as she herself has been criticized for being too white to participate in local pageants.
“I am Filipina-Australian where there are two beauty standards…But I think at the end of the day, beauty should be appreciated no matter what because beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You will never, ever be able to please every single person there is in the world. What matters is you should be able to please yourself and what you think is beautiful.”
Zoe recognizes the pressure and prestige that comes with pageantry. In the second part of the Q&A, when prompted by Miss Universe Philippines Head of Women Empowerment and Advocacy Lia Ramos on the importance of beauty to be seen by others, Zoe emphasized inner beauty while thanking her family, friends, and fans.
“I’m a very fortunate person who has the ability to stand on a stage in a contest like this and be celebrated by others,” she said. “But being beautiful should be celebrated because it comes from within. I believe I have the ability to stand here today because of the people that support me and the journey I went through to get here. What comes through is my heart, and I think that’s the most beautiful thing.”
Pasarela training sessions, strict dieting, and Q&A coaching with the country’s premier pageant bootcamp Aces and Queens proved especially useful as Zoe swept the special awards segment. She bagged six of the 11 titles, namely Miss Creamsilk, Miss Icon Clinic, Miss Jell Life, Miss iColor, Best in Evening Gown, and Best in Swimsuit. Cheers followed for every title win, making her a clear crowd favorite.
Rounding up the finalists of Miss Universe Philippines – Quezon City 2025 are Carmel Aquino (4th Runner Up, MUPH – QC Light of Innovation), Jam Co (3rd Runner Up, MUPH – QC Light of Charity), Stella Zacarias (2nd Runner Up, MUPH – QC Light of Education), and Hanna Amistad (1st Runner Up, MUPH – QC Tourism).
Zoe succeeds Miss Universe Philippines – Quezon City 2024 Cam Lagmay. As MUPH – QC 2025, Zoe will now vie for the coveted Miss Universe Philippines crown alongside other bets from different cities across the country.
In its second year, MUPH – QC once again captivated pageant enthusiasts both at the event and online, amassing nearly 500,000 views on Facebook Live within just 24 hours of its conclusion.
Miss Universe Philippines – Quezon City is mounted by full service marketing agency Brand Republic PH. Show Zoe Honeyman your support in the Miss Universe Philippines pageant by following her on Instagram: zoehinayhoneyman, and following MUPH – QC on Facebook: muphqc.
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