Miss International Guam 2026 Elise Miguel was born in the Philippines and raised on the island of Guam, an unincorporated territory of the United States. She is a performer, a dancer and a model who aspires to become a social worker.
Miss International Guam 2026
Based in Los Angeles, California, USA, JDP Pageants holds the license to crown the Miss International candidate of Guam. On February 25, 2026, it appointed Emily Smith as Miss International Guam 2026.
People from Guam questioned the decision to give the title to Smith, who has roots in Okinawa, Japan and Wales, United Kingdom and had no connection to the island. On March 6, 2026, she released a statement explaining her decision to step down from the title.
According to Smith, JDP Pageants originally appointed her as the Miss International 2026 candidate of Wales but the U.K. is already represented in the contest so the franchise holder was allowed to crown Guam’s candidate instead. The franchise holder held a casting call and reached out to individuals from the island but did not receive responses so the title was offered to her, which she accepted, she said.
“Looking back, I feel naive for accepting it under those circumstances,” Smith stated. “I should have paused and thought more deeply about what it truly means to represent a place, especially one with a rich culture, history and identity like Guam. A title is not something to simply take because it is available. It represents real people, real heritage and real pride. If my acceptance of the title caused hurt, offense or made anyone feel overlooked or disrespected, I am deeply sorry.”
Smith went on to win Miss International Hawaii 2027 on July 4, 2026 so she will represent Hawaii, USA at Miss International 2027. On July 20, 2026, JDP Pageants appointed Miguel as Miss International Guam 2026.
Miss International 2025
Guam was not represented in the 63rd edition of Miss International. On November 27, 2025, a total of 80 candidates competed for the title at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan.
Ai Nozaki of Japan finished in the Top 20 while both Bella Della Cruz of Australia and Britney Pringle of New Zealand were unplaced. Four continental queens were crowned namely Miss International Africa 2025 Yollanda Chimbarami of Zimbabwe, Miss International Americas 2025 Farrah Grant of Turks and Caicos Islands, Miss International Asia Pacific 2025 Katrina Wan of Macau and Miss International Europe 2025 Sophie Wallace of the United Kingdom.
In the end, Catalina Duque of Colombia was crowned Miss International 2025 while Chimbarami was the first runner-up. Paola Guzman of Bolivia, Melliza Xaviera of Indonesia and Myrna Esguerra of the Philippines were the second, third and fourth runners-up, respectively.
Miss International 2026
On June 15, 2026, it was announced that no continental queens will be selected in the 64th edition of Miss International. Also, the swimsuit competition will be replaced by a sportswear segment.
On September 29, 2026, Duque will turn 27. On November 25, 2026, she will crown her successor at the Tokyo Dome City Hall in Bunkyo, Tokyo.
Including Guam, more than 70 countries and territories will be represented at Miss International 2026. Here are some of Miguel’s fellow candidates from Asia and Oceania:
- Kimleang Sokea, 26, Cambodia
- Nicole Alia Ke’ala Kāhealani Sakaguchi, Hawaii
- Clarisse Achard, 25, Hong Kong
- Victoria Veronica Titisari Kosasieputri, 26, Indonesia (Victoria Kosasie)
- Michiru Yakuwa, 25, Japan
- Wenwei Yap, 28, Malaysia
- Khuslen Shirendev, 23, Mongolia
- Allison Roa-Sauz, 20, New Zealand
- Katrina Anne Castañeda Johnson, 28, Philippines
- Janessa Yang, 24, Singapore
- Su-yeon Jang, 19, South Korea
- Annie Chen, Taiwan
- Khánh Như Lê, 22, Vietnam
From Tumon to Tokyo
Miguel hails from Tumon, a census-designated place in the village of Tamuning, Guam. Tumon is considered the center of the island’s tourist industry.
Though separated by nearly 1,500 miles of the Pacific Ocean, Tokyo and Tumon share a tight bond forged through travel, economic exchange, and cultural crossover. The primary link between these two destinations is tourism.
For decades, Tumon has served as a favorite tropical getaway for Tokyo residents seeking sun, clear waters, and white sand beaches. Located just a three-and-a-half-hour flight from Tokyo’s major airports (Narita and Haneda), Tumon offers Japanese travelers an easily accessible taste of American island life without long-haul fatigue.
This steady stream of visitors has reshaped Tumon’s commercial landscape to cater directly to Tokyo’s culture. Walking down San Vitores Road, Tumon’s main strip, visitors encounter Japanese signage, familiar convenience stores like Lawson and Don Quijote (Don Don Donki), and Japanese-speaking hospitality staff. Major hotel brands and retail hubs in Tumon are designed with Japanese preferences in mind.
In return, this relationship fuels Guam’s economy while giving Tokyoites a home away from home in the Marianas. Through decades of direct flights, shared commercial ties, and mutual hospitality, Tokyo and Tumon remain closely linked across the Western Pacific.
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