Shaina-Anne Soliven, 20, has reached The Coronation Night of Miss Universe Philippines UK – the final stage of the competition.
The event will take place at Greenwich Borough Hall on August 23 following several preliminary stages Shaina made it through.
The Coronation Night will feature several elements, including a national costume competition, a swimwear competition and an elegant evening wear competition, plus Shaina’s most anticipated aspect: a Q&A with the judges.
She hopes success in the competition will help her shine a light on two key causes: equal opportunities in education and animal rights.
Shaina has been in performing arts since she was four, auditioning for the ITV talent show when she was 10, and dreams of being an actor and singer in the Philippines.
“Pageanting has always been a big thing in Filipino culture – I was raised seeing it,” she said.
“Pageanting is not as popular in the UK. I believe it has a stigma around it, but I encourage people to take part. It’s not just about the glamour; it’s about self-improvement.”
Last year, she took part in the Miss Philippines UK competition, encouraging her to step up to Miss Universe Philippines UK in 2025. The winner will get the chance to compete internationally.
Speaking about her preparation, she said: “I feel like there’s always work to do, but I’m not too scared or stressed because I have previous experience from last year. I’m feeling good. I just have a lot of practice to do.”
She was raised in Salisbury by a single Filipina mother and taught herself Tagalog, a language spoken by around 22.5 million people in the Philippines, through singing.
“It’s nice to represent my heritage and Salisbury itself,” she said.
“I featured the city in my introduction video, and I plan to feature it in more content when I’m back, especially about the cathedral, Stonehenge and the Magna Carta.
“I want to show people the culture, the places I’ve been and where I used to hang out and recommend the best places to go.”
Shaina’s experience of growing up locally, having attended Amesbury Primary School, Stonehenge School and then Bishop Wordsworth’s, shaped her passion for improving education in the Philippines.
She has pledged to donate to schools in the Pangasinan province to improve their resources and help them provide free sanitary products, meals and transport, giving children the same opportunities that she had.
She also wants to help strengthen animal rights legislation in the Philippines and contribute to the building of new sanctuaries.
“A major difference between the UK and the Philippines is the way that animals are treated,” Shaina said.
“Here, there are treated as pets and part of the family. I had two cats growing up, and I loved them so much.”
