Miss Kauai Filipina 2025 Khiani Garcia might have been edged out of the Talent phase judging on Saturday night, during the Miss Hawaii Filipina 2025 pageant at the Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall.
After misstepping in the Talent Phase judging, Garcia came back to score tops in the Swimsuit Phase, Best in Terno Speech Phase, and Judges Interview to earn the Miss Hawaii Filipina 2025 crown and its affiliated hardware, including the position sash and sceptre.
En route to the major judging phases, Garcia won notable awards, including Most Photogenic and Spirit Awards for Most Tickets and Most Ads sold.
Miss Maui Filipina 2025 Bernadette Acaso was voted Most Congenial by her peers before being crowned the pageant’s Second Runner Up.
Miss Oahu Filipina 2025 India Ching used fans laced with silken scarves to outpoint Garcia in the Talent phase judging and the pageant’s First Runner Up.
En route to the First Princess seat, Ching won the Social Media Favorites and the Most Beautiful Terno special awards.
Garcia was installed by the departing queen, Jaslen Valdez, who reigned as Miss Hawaii Filipina 2024 after earning the crown on the Big Island. Garcia becomes the second consecutive Miss Kauai Filipina to earn the state crown.
Xarika Casticimo, who recently earned her degree in Early Education from the University of Hawaii, started teaching at the Koloa Elementary School this year. Casticimo joined Kauai Police Department Capt. Rod Green as the evening’s emcee at the event attended by nearly 500 people, and whose proceeds benefit the newly-created Sakada Scholarship.
Benymar Sadumiano, the president of the United Filipino Council of Hawaii Foundation, set aside $20,000 for these scholarships. He also announced five candidates from Kauai who were recipients of these scholarships.
“Mahalo to the UFCHF and the Kauai Filipino Community Council for hosting this statewide gathering, and for making education and cultural preservation your top priorities,” said Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami in a message that appeared in the program booklet. “The funds raised tonight support the Sakada Scholarship, an investment not just in individual futures, but in the shared future of our community.”
Casticimo took a brief leave from the microphone to perform with Merrie Monarch award-winning Halau Ka Lei Mokihana O Leinaala after being inspired by one of the hula sisters to pique her interest in hula.
She was also the Miss Hawaii Filipina in 2022, succeeding Isabel Gampon, who held the sceptre from 2019 until 2022 because there were no pageants in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With her reign over, Jaslen Valdez said she will resume her pursuit of a degree in Elementary Education at the Northern Arizona University.
According to the Miss Kauai Filipina Pageant bylaws, the Kauai Filipino Community Council will determine the new Miss Kauai Filipina by installing the 2025 First Runner Up.
Source: The Garden Island