Ifugao Region’s Valerie West, a 22-year-old emergency medical technician from New York, is making waves in the Miss Universe Philippines 2025 competition.
West, who was crowned Reina Filipina North America on Jan. 25, arrived in the Philippines weeks later to compete for a chance to represent the country in the Miss Universe pageant in Thailand later this year. And despite her quick entry into the competition, she is showing pageant fans that she’s no stranger to pageantry.
In 2017, she earned the title of Miss York County’s Outstanding Teen and placed in the top five of Miss Pennsylvania’s Outstanding Teen. That was her first pageant. The following year, she won Miss Luzerne County’s Outstanding Teen and again made the top five at the state level.
In 2019, she was named Miss Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s Outstanding Teen and finished as first runner-up for Miss Pennsylvania’s Outstanding Teen.
The COVID-19 pandemic put her pageant career on hold, during which she completed a biomedical engineering degree at the University of Delaware. She plans to pursue a medical degree with the goal of specializing in pediatric cardiology but has chosen to resume pageantry after winning the Reina Filipina North America title.
“I’m excited to be representing my Ifugao roots and also the Philippine community in New York,” West said upon arriving in Manila.
The last time she visited the Philippines was in 2019, just before global lockdowns began.
Apart from being a beauty queen, West is also a singer, a dancer, and a martial artist. She has a passion for songwriting and previously competed in the Philippine television singing contest The Clash at age 17.
“As a Filipino raised by a Filipino mom, love for pageantry was instilled in me from a young age. As I got older, I saw these queens as more than just graceful women; they became role models,” West said, adding that her mother, originally from Kiangan, Ifugao, inspired her to pursue beauty pageants.
West believes the Philippines’ deep appreciation for pageantry is rooted in its cultural values.
“When you see women empowering each other and emphasizing strong family values, it’s hard not to be inspired. Even abroad, we carry those values with us.”
She cites Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray as an inspiration. “Catriona took the crown and has done so much with it afterward, especially in promoting Filipino culture,” she said.
West is also involved in advocacy work through the PUSO Foundation, an organization founded in 2017 by Robert Banez. The foundation operates in seven countries, providing aid to underserved communities.
“Through my partnership with PUSO, I advocate for ‘paying it forward’ and encourage service work, especially among young people. Even small acts of kindness can create a ripple effect and change lives globally,” she said.