The numbers are in, and they speak volumes—seventy thousand volumes, to be exact. Miss Papua New Guinea, Iampela Popena, has emerged as the clear People’s Choice in the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant 2026 online poll, proving that when PNG gets behind one of its own, the results are nothing short of historic.
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| Seventy Thousand Strong: PNG’s Iampela Popena Sweeps Regional Pageant Polls |
This landslide victory in the final day polling results saw Popena nearly doubling the numbers of her closest rivals. While the competition was fierce across the blue continent, the momentum from the PNG public was undeniable, propelling our representative to the very top of the leaderboards.
Trailing behind the PNG surge were Miss Tonga and Miss Samoa, who pulled in 43,000 and 27,000 votes respectively. Further down the list, the tallies for Kiribati, Fiji, and the Samoan and Cook Island contingents showed a Pacific-wide passion for this year's cultural showcase.
Following the announcement, event organizers were full of praise for the top three women, noting that the "dedication and strength" shown throughout the process was a credit to their families and countries. It wasn't just about the winners, however, as every participant was hailed for carrying the weight of their culture with exceptional poise.
As the pageant moves toward its final crowning moments, Popena carries with her the voices and votes of 70,000 supporters, a powerful wind beneath her wings as she represents the spirit of Papua New Guinea.