February 14 ------ Popular pageant veteran Ahtisa Manalo stoked hope and excitement among pageant fans after she was spotted in the premises of the Miss Universe Philippines contract signing in Makati Thursday, February 13. Manalo, who is still the reigning The Miss Philippines-Cosmo 2024, was with other 2025 MUPH delegates at the Pacific Star Building, where the contract-signing was being held. And while the hashtag #AhtISAPanglaban made the rounds online, an insider from the Miss Universe Philippines Organization (MUPH) has confirmed with INQUIRER.net that the entrepreneur from Quezon Province was indeed at the contract signing event, and will join the national pageant once again.
Manalo competed in last year’s pageant, ending years of speculation whether she will return to pageantry or not. She expectedly became one of the early favorites and sustained her frontrunner status up until the end of the contest. She amassed the lion’s share of special awards during the preliminary competition, and filled the finale venue with her supporters. She finished third in the finals, with the top title going to Chelsea Manalo. Manalo later received her own national title in the same evening, as The Miss Philippines-Cosmo 2024, and represented the country in the first edition of the Vietnam-based Miss Cosmo pageant. She finished in the Top 10 of the global tilt. Dubbed “Pambansang Manika” (National Doll) by pageant fans for her doll-like features, Manalo competed alongside 2018 Miss Universe Catriona Gray in the Binibining Pilipinas pageant seven years ago.
There, she earned the responsibility of representing the Philippines in the 2018 Miss International pageant in Japan, where she finisihed second to Venezuela’s Mariem Velasco. Manalo will join her fellow Bb. Pilipinas queens Chanel Olive Thomas and Chelsea Fernandez in the highly competitive race for the 2025 Miss Universe Philippines crown. Also in the fray are 2017 Reina Hispanoamericana Teresita Ssen “Winwyn” Marquez, 2019 Mutya ng Pilipinas-Tourism International Tyra Goldman, 2022 Miss Universe Philippines second runner-up and 2019 Reina Hispanoamericana quinta finalista Katrina Llegado, and 2023 Miss Earth-Air Yllana Marie Aduana. It is not yet clear what will become of Manalo’s The Miss Philippines-Cosmo title, and if her successor will be chosen from the field of 2025 Miss Universe Philippines delegates like what happened last year.
Source: inquirer.net
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