As the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant moves closer to announcing the 2026 winner, supporters from across the Pacific have intensified their online promotion, doing everything they can to back their contestants.
Seven contestants are vying for the crown this year, representing the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga.
One of the ways Tongan supporters are showing their backing for Miss Siosiana is by sharing photos of her with her mother, Anita Roberts, who held the Miss Heilala title in 1997.
“Did you know our beautiful Miss Heilala 2025–2026, Siosiana Patricia Lavulo Taumoepeau, is the daughter of Anita Roberts, who was crowned Miss Heilala in 1997?” one Facebook post stated.
“Beautiful Miss Heilala 1997, Anita Roberts, mother of our reigning Miss Heilala 2025, is truly stunning,” one responder wrote.
Based on the main activities tracked during the competition so far, Miss Papua New Guinea Iampela Popena currently leads the popular vote by a wide margin, securing around 70,000 votes. She is followed by Miss Taumoepeau, who has garnered approximately 40,000 votes.
The popular vote, cast online by members of the public, does not count toward the official judging score for the crown.
Miss Tonga 2025, Rachael Guttenbeil, won the Miss Popularity award last year, prompting many to question why Tongan votes have dropped so sharply this time.
As Kaniva News previously reported, Tongan supporters made it clear from the outset that they would withhold their votes this year in protest, after the pageant committee failed to resolve allegations that last year’s results were rigged.
According to reports, supporters have alleged that Miss Guttenbeil should have won the 2025 beauty contest, claiming the pageant’s chief judge, Mr Leiataualesa Jerry Brunt, tampered with the scorecards to award the crown to the Samoa contestant, Litara ieremia allan.
Organisers of the Pacific Islands Pageant reportedly said they have overhauled their judging system after last year’s rigging allegations, unveiling stricter scoring checks and independent oversight.
