The Philippines’ Christina Labareño Vanhefflin placed 4th runner-up at the recently concluded 53rd Miss Intercontinental pageant, held in Sahl Hasheesh, Egypt, on Thursday, January 29 (January 30 in the Philippines).
Her strong showing further strengthened the country’s reputation as a consistent force in the international beauty pageant scene.
Vanhefflin, 20, is a Filipino-British beauty queen from Babatngon, Leyte. She represented the Philippines after being crowned Mutya ng Pilipinas–Intercontinental 2025, earning her the right to compete on the global stage under the Mutya ng Pilipinas organization.
She advanced directly to the final round after winning the Power of Beauty special award, marking a back-to-back win for the Philippines in the category. The previous year’s recipient, Alyssa Marie Redondo, also went on to place 2nd runner-up at Miss Intercontinental 2024.
The Miss Intercontinental 2025 crown was won by Varvara Yakovenko of Russia, with delegates from other countries completing the lineup of runners-up following a highly competitive final night.
Vanhefflin was eyeing the Philippines’ third Miss Intercontinental crown, following the victories of Karen Gallman in 2018 and Cinderella Faye Obenita in 2021. Both titleholders emerged from the Binibining Pilipinas pageant, which held the Miss Intercontinental franchise from 2014 to 2022 before it was transferred to Mutya ng Pilipinas.
Despite missing the crown, Vanhefflin extended the Philippines’ semifinals streak to 12 consecutive years at the Miss Intercontinental pageant, highlighting the country’s sustained excellence and strong preparation of its representatives.
The Mutya ng Pilipinas organization congratulated Vanhefflin in an official post, praising her performance and achievements. “Congratulations to our very own Mutya Queen, Christina Labareño Vanhefflin, for being crowned Miss Intercontinental 2025 4th Runner-Up and for winning the Power of Beauty Award,” the post read, noting that her dedication, grace, and advocacy “truly shone on the international stage” and made the Philippines proud.
Before her national and international success, Vanhefflin competed in several regional pageants and previously held the title Miss Leyte Liberation 2024. The Philippines’ rich Miss Intercontinental history also includes notable representatives such as Cristilynn McGarry, who placed in the Top 15 in 2010 and later became 1st runner-up in 2015, and Katarina Rodriguez, a former Asia’s Next Top Model runner-up who went on to win Miss Intercontinental 2017.
