Despite the rainy weather in Manila, the heat was on as Century Tuna Superbods Era 2026 officially unveiled its finalists for the highly anticipated biennial competition.
The final callbacks were held on July 11, 2026, at Novotel Manila Araneta City in Quezon City, where aspiring Superbods from across the country faced one last screening before earning a coveted spot in this year's roster of finalists.
Contestants showcased not only their physiques but also their confidence, charisma, and commitment to living a healthy and active lifestyle—qualities that have defined the Century Tuna Superbods search for the past two decades.
TOP 20 FEMALE SUPERBODS
This year's edition is particularly significant as it marks the 10th installment of the Century Tuna Superbods search and the 20th anniversary of the brand's iconic fitness campaign.
To commemorate the milestone year, the brand expanded its roster from the usual 15 finalists to 20 finalists each in the male and female categories, making this one of the largest batches in the competition's history.
The female finalists represent a diverse mix of backgrounds, professions, and personal journeys.
Among the familiar faces from the entertainment industry are former The Voice Teens Philippines finalist Gia Gonzales, TV host-actress and mom Gee Canlas, Filipino-Australian singer Janica Reloxe, and PTV host Diane Querrer.
Beyond entertainment, this year's female roster also boasts a strong contingent from the pageant world.
Joining the finalists are Filipino-German beauty queen Anna Valencia Lakrini, who won Miss Supranational Germany 2025 and Binibining Pilipinas Globe 2023; Binibining Pilipinas 2024 candidate Vienne Luna of Calamba City, Laguna; Miss Universe Philippines 2025 Manila representative Jasmine Paguio; Binibining Laguna 2025 contestant Ronalyn Lalimo; and former Binibining Pilipinas candidate Marianne Marquez.
The sports community is likewise well represented with Creamline Cool Smashers libero Aleiah Torres and Ateneo de Manila University volleyball player Chucel Njigha bringing their athletic backgrounds to the competition.
Meanwhile, several finalists come from the corporate and education sectors, proving that fitness transcends professions.
Among them are educator Jilliane Robillos, who also serves as managing director of the International Center for Beginning Beginners, and Alana Maris Montemayor, Vice President for Risk and Compliance at HSBC.
Read: Pau Pelaez shares surprising weight loss tip: "Sleep talaga."
IN FOCUS: LOU YANONG
Former Pinoy Big Brother housemate Lou Yanong also secured a coveted spot among this year's finalists.
During the final callbacks, Lou candidly opened up about the personal struggles and realizations that inspired her to join the competition.
She recalled battling shingles—a painful viral infection caused by the same virus responsible for chickenpox—which became a wake-up call for her to prioritize her health and well-being.
The experience also pushed her to confront the self-limiting beliefs that had long affected her confidence.
Lou shared: "Last year, I had a very rough time. It was a turning point. I had shingles. I was doing a show called Roja, and I wasn't taking care of myself.
"I wasn't taking care of my body and I had shingles. It took the most valuable thing in my life, which is my face. It was right here. I was like, 'How can I make money if my face is messed up?'
"But I got through it because I just really took care of myself, and on what I eat, and sleeping right, and surrounding myself with good people, and with self-limiting beliefs...
"I think there's... a notion here in the Philippines, and it's a constant conversation that I have with other people. It's a self-limiting belief that I can't change.
"But the thing is, you can... it's just a mindset shift. It's just neuroplasticity. It's beautiful.
"But yeah, you know, it's a mindset shift. So I'm here just facing my fears, shaking in my bikini, honestly.
"I've never done this, but I am here, and I hope I can inspire other people by doing the same. I wanna bring you guys in my journey to just break the self-limiting beliefs gaining confidence through repetition, and learning to be selfish to be able to be more selfless.
"Again, I'm Lou Yanong, freaking out. But, yeah, this is only the beginning of my strongest chapter, which is my superpower. Thank you."
Asked how she remains authentic despite the pressures of social media, Lou emphasized the importance of staying grounded in one's values and owning up to mistakes.
"The only thing that keeps me really going are the people who I know my market is, which is young girls and probably young men, that I just wanna really live my life as truthfully as I can.
"So the moment I stepped outside of the house, I just let go of all that. I had a controversy inside the house, but I owned it.
"Every mistake, every lapses, every fallbacks... I just take accountability for it, and it's okay. So yeah."
View this post on Instagram
Below is the full list of the Top 20 female finalists of Century Tuna Superbods Era 2026:
- Vienne Luna
- Jasmine Paguio
- Chucel Njigha
- Janica Reloxe
- Lou Yanong
- Gia Gozales
- Marianne Marquez
- Ronalyn Lalimo
- Ashley Cayuca
- Alana Maris Montemayor
- Donnabelle Erno
- Jilliane Robillos
- Aleiah Torres
- Diane Querrer
- Gee Canlas
- Jarly Verceles
- Kristen Bea Chua
- Rovin Mizuse
- Thalia Joaquin
- Anna Valencia Lakrini
TOP 20 MALE SUPERBODS
The men's category is likewise filled with familiar faces from the worlds of entertainment and pageantry.
Among the standout finalists are actor Jay Gonzaga and several titleholders and pageant veterans who have made their mark on the national and international stage.
Joining the roster are Mister International Philippines 2023 Austin Dizon Cabatana, Mister International Philippines 2022 MJ Ordillano, King of the World Philippines 2025 Supermodel Paul John Galang, and Mister Tourism Globe 2025 Christopher Ian El Jouni.
Also making the cut are former Mister Pilipinas Worldwide candidates Lorenzo Isip and RC Kashyap.
Fitness enthusiasts Herschel Verne Sanchez and Joselito Florendo are also among this year's finalists, proving that age is just a number when it comes to pursuing an active and healthy lifestyle.
Read: Solenn Heussaff paints through her dad’s dementia: "He doesn't know me."
IN FOCUS: AMEER AHID
Among the standout contestants in the men's division is Ameer Ahid, a 30-year-old adaptive athlete whose inspiring journey of resilience has made him a respected figure in the fitness community.
Ameer was diagnosed with bone cancer and eventually underwent the amputation of his right leg to prevent the disease from spreading to other parts of his body. Rather than letting the life-changing challenge define him, he used it as motivation to push beyond his perceived limitations and pursue excellence in sports and fitness.
During his introduction, Ameer spoke passionately about championing inclusivity and creating more opportunities for persons with disabilities (PWDs) in sports.
He said: "I stand with one leg, but I stand for having a limitless mindset because growing up being diagnosed with bone cancer, and losing my leg on the course of my treatment on that, it didn't stop me.
"But it also pushed me to go beyond my limits, to be mindful that having... knowing that our body has limitations doesn't have to make it ourselves that limited in a way that we wouldn't able to reach our goals or push on what we have or what we wanted in life.
"Because right now, having one leg, it brought me to places like being a Spartan ambassador, the first Filipino adaptive athlete to join the HYROX, and a lot more.
"I may be shaking right now, but, I know for sure that I'll be representing a community which would really love to be involved in the fitness industry, especially those who are cancer survivors and the PWDs.
"And I wanted to have a space for them, especially in the fitness, in the sports and in our society, not to be tolerated, but having the feeling of belongingness."
GAY PRIDE
The LGBTQ+ community is likewise well represented in the men's roster. Among those who made the cut are dancer and choreographer Nunoy Van Den Burgh, content creator Aaron Maniego, beauty queen stylist Ken Batino, and Drag Race Philippines Pit Crew member Ricardo De Jesus, bringing diversity and representation to this year's competition.
Making history among the finalists is Kim Panique, who became the first trans man to audition for and compete in Century Tuna Superbods.
During his introduction, Kim shared the personal journey that led him to embrace his authentic self and find confidence through fitness.
Kim said: "I stand for self-acceptance and courage because as a trans man, I know what it feels like to live in the body you struggle to call your own.
"Even after my transition and surgery, I still am afraid to show the scars to people because I was afraid that people will judge me more.
"And through with this, it didn't give me just strength, but it gave me freedom. Every workout and progress I made helps me replace fear with confidence.
"And it reminds me, these scars, that this is not my flaw, it is a proof of my resilience.
"So today, I stand here showing all of you that even though I am a trans man and I have now a courage to finally accept who I am, and also accept and embrace this body that tells my story.
"And now, I want to make sure that this is my super bod."
Here are the 20 men vying for the Century Tuna Superbods Era 2026 title:
- Ameer Sanchez Ahid
- Ricardo De Jesus
- Dominic Camozzi
- Jay Gonzaga
- Arvin Corpuz
- MJ Ordillano
- Christopher Ian El Jouni
- Ken Batino
- Rafael Cruz Tan
- Lorenzo Isip
- RC Kashyap
- Prince De Guzman
- Nunoy Van Den Bburgh
- Austin Dizon Cabatana
- Joselito Florendo
- Herschel Verne Sanchez
- Kim Panique
- Aaron Maniego
- Jaco Benin
- Paul John Galang
FINAL CALLBACKS
A total of 151 aspiring contestants advanced to the final callbacks of Century Tuna Superbods Era 2026, making the competition fiercer than ever as hopefuls vied for a coveted spot in this year's Top 40 finalists.
Despite their strong credentials and impressive performances, several familiar names and fan favorites ultimately failed to make the cut.
Among them were model-content creators Rem Valeriano and Eyno Bautista; Jericho Ejercito, son of actor and former Laguna governor ER Ejercito; model Zachary Russell; and fashion photographers Rap Yu and Ari Simangan.
DOM CORILLA
One of the biggest surprises was the elimination of Mister Global 2024 Dom Corilla, whose omission sparked discussions among pageant fans online.
During his introduction, Dom spoke about his advocacy for holistic wellness, emphasizing the importance of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.
"My advocacy for this competition is overall health, not just physical, but also mentally.
"Because even if we have the body, but we don't have the mindset to achieve things that we want to do, it's nothing.
"Another one is emotional health. We need to be able to react to things and not be affected by them, and not ruin our day and our lives.
"And the other thing is spiritual health, because all the blessings that we have today is because of God."
Dom also took the opportunity to highlight an advocacy that goes beyond fitness—his stance against corruption.
He continued: "And also, my overall advocacy beyond this competition is anti-corruption.
"Because we can take care of ourselves, we can take care of our friends and families, our communities, but if the people sitting at the top continue to hog all the wealth and the power, that we will not move forward as a country."
During the brief Q&A segment, Dom was asked how he would encourage ordinary people who may not see themselves as athletic, fit, or model material to start their own fitness journeys.
Using his own transformation as an example, the international titleholder stressed the importance of taking risks and stepping outside one's comfort zone.
"During 2019, before I got into modeling, I was a completely different person. I was a nerd. I was super thin. I didn't know how to fashion myself.
"But I just took a leap of faith. And it's that mindset of not... Even if you're scared, you need to have the courage to push yourself to try new things, you know?
"And if I didn't take that leap of faith during 2019, then I would never have gotten the title of Mr. Global during 2024. So, I want to inspire others to do the same."
View this post on Instagram
Among the female contestants who did not advance were Miss Universe Philippines Los Baños 2026 Scarlett Anne de Mesa, It's Showtime Sexy Babe contestant Adrianna Christelle Diy, content creator Krishia Mae Abad, and model and transwoman Kishan Garcia.
CIANNE DOMINGUEZ
Another notable name who missed the cut was It's Showtime host Cianne Dominguez, who nonetheless emerged as one of the most talked-about contestants during the callbacks.
A video of her introduction posted by PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) across its social media platforms quickly gained traction, garnering more than 30 million views and prompting many netizens to question why she was not among the finalists.
During her introduction, Cianne shared the values that motivate her fitness journey.
"I stand to honor God through having a healthy body, a strong mind, and living a life that is pleasing to Him and that is inspiring to other people.
"I believe that if we continue to take care of ourselves, it is also a way for us to be good stewards. And that's why I choose to take care of myself, not just physically, but also emotionally, mentally, and spiritually."
Later, the judging panel asked Cianne how she navigates the pressures of body image as a public figure and how she hopes to redefine female fitness as a measure of strength and capability rather than a specific body type.
She answered: "Since ang branding ko po sa It's Showtime ay Showtime Sexy Babe, since lumaban ko sa Showtime Sexy Babe.
"And kinuha nila ako to, for sure to inspire other women, hindi lang women, and siyempre lahat ng mga gustong sumama sa... sa ganito kang industry na, we should take care of our bodies.
"Na hindi lang din... hindi lang din 'to about sa physical, but also yung mga characteristics natin. At siyempre my inspiration is Ate Anne [Curtis], kasi hindi talaga siya... she's super limitless sa lahat ng bagay."
View this post on Instagram
READ MORE: