FILIPINOS are a step closer to the 2025 edition of the Miss Universe Philippines (MUPH) competition, as the official headshots of the candidates have finally been released.
Pageant fans and enthusiasts eagerly await this year’s edition, which will mark the comeback of several veteran beauty queens to the pageant stage.
To level up the excitement, global pageant observer Missosology unveiled its first hot picks for the MUPH 2025 competition, with Ahtisa Manalo of Quezon Province completing the top five.
Manalo was one of the strong candidates in the 2024 edition of the MUPH pageant, with her topping Missosology’s final hot picks for the crown. In the end, Chelsea Manalo, now the first Miss Universe Asia titleholder, succeeded MUPH 2023 Michelle Dee.
In an ABS-CBN report, Manalo said she gave herself another shot for the coveted MUPH crown this year since she had no big projects coming up. She added that she is ready to return to the pageant stage, following her Miss Cosmo journey where she finished in the Top 10.
There is so much to learn about Ahtisa’s journey which equipped her to become the award-winning beauty queen she is known today. Here are some fun facts about her:
Ahtisa started pageantry in 4th grade
In a “Her Story” video for the MUPH 2024 pageant, Ahtisa shared that she first joined pageantry in the fourth grade because the grand prize was free tuition. She did this to help her grandmother and godfather, who joined forces to send her to school.
“I did not grow up with privilege,” she narrated. “Kaya bata pa lang, I searched for ways to help put myself through school.”
“Pageantry became my life’s vessel, fueled by the love and support of those around me,” she continued.
Ahtisa also discussed in the clip how she wanted to support other young individuals like her who strive for their dreams.
“I want to be that enabler for all other Ahtisas to believe; to believe that you are not limited by your life’s circumstances and to believe that your greatest enabler is yourself,” she stressed.
Ahtisa empowers the youth
To support the youth’s future, Ahtisa partnered with Alon Akademie, a non-profit organization that helps young people develop “real entrepreneurial projects” and implement them.
In an interview with ABS-CBN News, Ahtisa said the organization teaches young individuals “global citizenship, social skills, and entrepreneurial mindset.”
Even during her pageants, the beauty queen continues to support the youth. One example was when she collaborated with young designers for her Miss Cosmo 2024 costume, inspired by the Visayan goddess Lalahon.
She praised the creativity and passion of the two young designers, Kyla Yu and Meira Yu, which “exemplify the bright future of our youth.”
Ahtisa is an entrepreneur
Her advocacy of supporting the youth’s future aligns with her profession: an entrepreneur.
Ahtisa has a food and beverage company, now run by hundreds of employees.
“I started it with two other partners. From there was nothing and then now we have almost a thousand employees,” she told ABS-CBN News in 2024.
The beauty queen previously shared that her business ventures include natural drinking yogurt store Koomi and two cafés in Australia.
Ahtisa graduated from Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation with a degree in accountancy.
Ahtisa is an LGBTQIA+ advocate
Ahtisa’s other advocacy is supporting the LGBTQIA+ community and gender equality.
She expressed how vocal she is about this advocacy in an interview with GMA News, sharing that she calls out those who are being homophobic.
“I have family members who are gay, and I have a lot of friends who are gay also, my mentors, my friends, my supporters. I’m surrounded by gay people and the LGBT community,” she said.
In June 2018, Ahtisa shared a photo of her holding the rainbow flag, encouraging everyone to support the LGBTQIA+ community even if it is not Pride Month.
Ahtisa’s favorite quote
Like everybody else, Ahtisa has a favorite quote that inspires her to achieve her goals.
In her introduction video for the Miss Cosmo 2024 pageant, the beauty queen shared that her favorite inspirational quote is: “You are the architect of your own destiny, you are the master of your own fate, and you are behind the steering wheel of your own life.”
Ahtisa said this quote resonates with her as someone who has strived for her dreams since childhood.
“From a very young age, I took control of what little I had and maximized it. My life choices were incredibly limited; my access to good schools and access to opportunities. But despite those limitations, I took control of my own life,” she said.
“Now, I have lived a lot of my dreams and I’m continuing to design my life the way I want to live it,” she continued.
Pageants fans will see how Ahtisa will navigate her life’s journey, as she competes in the upcoming MUPH 2025 pageant. Whoever wins the national pageant will earn a ticket to the 74th Miss Universe competition in Bangkok, Thailand on November 21, 2025.
