iCON 2026
January 29, 2026 marked the highly anticipated return of iCON 2026, iACADEMY’s annual inter-organization pageant that celebrates leadership, advocacy, and student excellence across programs and organizations.
Originally featuring 14 candidates from various organizations and academic programs, the competition proceeded with 13 official contestants following the withdrawal of Octave representative Greg Felix due to health reasons.
The event opened with a vibrant production number, where candidates wore distinct colors symbolizing their personalities and advocacies. This was followed by a Round Table discussion, projected live on LED screens, where contestants responded to pressing social issues, testing their critical thinking, awareness, and values. Miss Digital Media Management- Roanne Qimbo aced that round.
Candidates then presented their advocacy videos, highlighting causes they champion as students and as representatives of their respective programs and organizations. The competition intensified during the sportswear segment, where Miss COMPILE, Jana Quisha Salamatin, emerged as the winner.
In the Organization and Program Attire segment, the representative from the Filmmakers Society of iACADEMY-Mikaela Rozel “Mika” Bayani out with a powerful concept, revealing a blue ensemble and a cape featuring iconic Filipino films that address national social issues. The same representative went on to win both the Production Number and Formal Wear segments, showcasing elegance, creativity, and strong storytelling.
After narrowing the field to the Top 7, the competition progressed to a Q&A round, ultimately selecting a Top 3 composed of representatives from three different schools:
School of Computing (COMPILE)- Jana Quisha Salamatin
School of Design and the Arts (Filmmakers Society of iACADEMY)-Mikaela Rozel “Mika” Bayani
School of Business and Liberal Arts (Digital Media Management)- Roanne Qimbo
Following the final Q&A, the results were announced:
Second Runner-Up: Digital Media Management- Roanne Qimbo
First Runner-Up: COMPILE- Jana Quisha Salamatin
Winner: Filmmakers Society of iACADEMY- Mikaela Rozel “Mika” Bayani
The People’s Choice Award was awarded to the representative from Pikzel-Charles Alferd Boyore
More than a competition, iCON 2026 highlighted the diversity, advocacy, and camaraderie within the iACADEMY community, proving that leadership and creativity thrive beyond disciplines, coming together in one stage to define the next iCON.