“People died.”
This was among the reactions of some Filipinos who felt the national costume of Jacqueline Gulrajani, Miss Universe Philippines Tacloban 2026, romanticized resilience, as it was inspired by Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name “Haiyan”).
Online discussion about the disaster-inspired ensemble of the VIVA host emerged after a publication featured her elaborate silver attire, which placed in Top 6 of the Best in HERstory and HERitage National Costume segment.
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
The national costume of Jacqueline, also known as Jacqy Raj, was designed by Charlotte Rodriguez.
The ensemble features a headdress shaped like the eye of a typhoon, paired with a gown that has wave-like designs.
It also includes figurines of drowning people incorporated into the wave motifs.
The MUPH Tacloban page said the costume “embodies the story of Tacloban City after the fury of Super Typhoon Yolanda.”
“The headpiece swirls like the storm’s unblinking eye, crowned with flashes of lightning, while crystal raindrops fall upon the shoulders—echoes of a day the city will never forget. Fractured patterns across the bodice mirror shattered homes and broken horizons,” it said in an Instagram post.
“From the hem rise sculpted waves, fierce yet graceful, carrying within them the solemn image of the MV Eva Jocelyn. Once a humble vessel of the sea, it was thrust ashore by unimaginable force—now immortalized as a symbol of how high the waters rose and how deep the wounds ran. In this design, it no longer drifts in ruin, but stands as a quiet sentinel of memory and resilience,” it added.
The post also said that it is “not a costume of sorrow alone,” but “a crescendo of courage.”
“The surging waves move forward, just as the people did—rebuilding, rising, reclaiming their light. More than remembrance, it is a declaration that Tacloban City remains steadfast—a City of Hope, unshaken in spirit, undefeated in heart,” it concluded.
The costume drew criticism from some Filipinos who said it “romanticized” resilience and was “insensitive” to the victims of the super typhoon.
“Nye. People died, you freak!” an online user reacted.
“It feels uncomfortable turning a tragedy that took so many lives into a fashion concept on a stage like Miss U,” another Pinoy said.
“You can’t make a disaster into a costume. Even if you dress it up as ‘resilience.’ People died!!!” a different X user said.
“Gotta admire the execution, but using one of the most traumatic typhoons in PH history as your costume is just tone deaf,” another Pinoy said.
“Huh, bakit kailangan gawing costume ang trahedya?” a different X user commented.
A fashion designer also weighed in on the matter.
“There are so many ways to pay homage to your hometown without romanticizing resilience and glamorizing a tragedy that killed over 6,000 and injured 28,000 people. Y’all have beautiful handicrafts from bamboo, coconut and abaca,etc…” Marv wrote.
The super typhoon
Super Typhoon Yolanda, which struck in November 2013, was considered the “worst typhoon to ever hit the Philippines to date” and ranked among the top 10 worst storms in terms of property damage and casualties.
Reports said that 7,350 people died or went missing, with Eastern Visayas sustaining the heaviest losses in both lives and damage.
Figures showed that 5,902 or 93% of the total fatalities came from the region, particularly in Tacloban City, with most deaths attributed to “drowning and trauma.” The region also accounted for damage worth P68.7 billion.
The number of damaged houses reached 1,140,332, with 550,928 totally destroyed and 589,404 partially damaged. — with reports from Philstar.com/Christian Deiparine