At the conclusion of the sixth Miss Universe Philippines pageant on Friday, May 2, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, reigning titleholder Chelsea Manalo — the first Black Miss Universe Philippines and the first to win the Miss Universe Asia title — passed on the La Mer en Majesté crown to veteran pageant queen Maria Ahtisa Manalo.
Manalo, a model and businesswoman representing Quezon province, emerged victorious over 65 other delegates. Her court includes Teresita Ssen “Winwyn” Marquez of Muntinlupa (first runner-up) and Yllana Marie Aduana of Siniloan (second runner-up).
Also crowned were Chelsea Lovely Fernandez of Sultan Kudarat as Miss Cosmo Philippines 2025; Maria Katrina Llegado of Taguig as Miss Supranational Philippines 2026; and Gabriella Mai Carballo of Cebu City as Miss Eco Philippines 2026.
The program was hosted by Xian Lim, Gabbi Garcia, Erika Kristensen-Lee and Tim Yap, with musical performances by James Reid and Marlo Mortel during the swimsuit and evening gown competitions.
As widely predicted by pageant enthusiasts, Ahtisa Manalo stood out in a field of 66 candidates from the Philippines and the global Filipino community. The delegates were narrowed down to 24 semifinalists by a selection committee composed of Miss Universe Philippines Organization (MUPhO) members, sponsors and fan votes.
The semifinalists, clad in Mags apparel, were introduced onstage before competing in swimsuits designed by Albert Andrada, head of the MUPhO Design Council. Twelve advanced to the evening gown segment, and six finalists moved on to the final question-and-answer portion.
A dream fulfilled
This marks Ahtisa Manalo’s third attempt at the Miss Universe Philippines crown. She dedicated her win to her late grandmother, who supported her education and instilled in her the values of kindness and perseverance.
“I fell a while ago on stage. And the thing with me is, whenever I fall in life, I always make sure I come back stronger,” Manalo said. “Last year, I was here on this stage, and for the second time this year, I’m here, putting everything on this stage to be Miss Universe Philippines. This is mine and my grandmother’s shared dream. She passed away early this year. This is my ode to her.”
Manalo previously held the Binibining Pilipinas International 2018 title and was first runner-up at Miss International 2018. In 2024, she placed second runner-up at Miss Universe Philippines and was later appointed to represent the country at the inaugural Miss Cosmo, where she finished in the top 10.
She is set to compete at the 74th Miss Universe pageant, scheduled for Nov. 21 in Thailand, where she will attempt to win the country’s fifth Miss Universe crown.
Veterans return
Winwyn Marquez competed in Binibining Pilipinas 2015, where she placed among the top 15 semifinalists. Aduana and Fernandez were both contestants in Binibining Pilipinas 2022. Aduana reached the top 12 and was awarded Face of Binibini, while Fernandez won the Binibining Pilipinas Globe title and placed in the top 15 at The Miss Globe.
Advocates and answers
Fernandez previously represented Tacloban City in Miss Philippines Earth 2019, where she won the Miss Philippines Water title.
“In our generation, youth have a strong personality,” Fernandez said when asked about young voters. “They have the power to choose and vote for the right leaders. That’s why tonight, I would like to encourage our youth to be wise and select our leaders. Because when we are wise about this, we can reach the tip of the universe. And the Philippines will be progressive and productive.”
Aduana also has a history with Miss Philippines Earth, competing virtually in 2021 and winning the title in 2023. At Miss Earth 2023 in Vietnam, she earned the Miss Earth Air title.
When asked what project she would pursue as a local official, she responded: “I’ve always known myself to be a committed advocate of education. I would promote educational empowerment across all genders in our municipality. We understand that education is the key to opening doors of opportunity, the power that no one can ever take away from us.”
Reina Hispanoamericana trailblazers
In 2017, Marquez became the first Filipina to win the Reina Hispanoamericana crown in Bolivia.
Asked what qualities voters should look for in the upcoming May 12, 2025, general elections, she said: “We should look for someone who has integrity. Someone who puts people’s welfare first before their political wants and needs. We should have a leader who is not a politician as usual, but someone who always puts the people first.”
Llegado, who placed as second runner-up in Miss Universe Philippines 2022, also represented the Philippines in Reina Hispanoamericana 2019, where she finished as fifth runner-up.
“Women today deserve a seat at the table,” she said. “We are at par with men. We are trailblazers. We are leaders. Women are a power; a force in the universe.”
Doctor and advocate
Carballo, a medical doctor, is an active environmental advocate in Cebu, leading the Green Wave Cebu movement for sanitation and public health.
When asked how she maintains authenticity as a public figure, Carballo responded: “I’ve learned that the most important thing is the posture of your heart. You have to ask yourself, Am I putting out the best version of myself into the world? And is that helping other people? I don’t think there’s a reason we have to live on this Earth if we’re not impacting people positively. I hope we can all move forward, bring others along with us, and help build a better society, because as Filipinos, we can place love above all.”
