Ma. Ahtisa Manalo is crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2025. Screenshot from Empite.Ph YouTube
After the dust settled from the hotly-contested Miss Universe Philippines 2025 competition, one woman reigned supreme, and she is Ma. Ahtisa Manalo of Quezon Province.
Manalo bested 65 other aspirants in a competition dubbed “puksaan” (eradication) by fervent pageant fans because of the highly-competitive roster of candidates, including ladies with international experience and national titleholders.
The new queen inherited the Miss Universe Philippines’ “La Mer en Majeste” crown from last year’s winner, Chelsea Manalo, at the culmination of the coronation show held at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on Friday evening, May 2.
Manalo edged out five other ladies in the final round of competition — pageant veterans Chelsea Fernandez of Sultan Kudarat, Yllana Marie Aduana of Siniloan, Laguna, Winwyn Marquez of Muntilupa, Ma. Katrina Llegado of Taguig, and Gabriella Mai Carballo of Cebu City,
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Manalo is a returning candidate, who finished third overall in last year’s competition. She subsequently got The Miss Philippines-Cosmo title and was sent to the inaugural edition of the Miss Cosmo pageant in Vietnam last year, where she finished in the Top 10.
Her first national competition was the Reyna ng Aliwan search in 2017, representing the Niyogyugan Festival of Quezon Province, finishing as second runner-up. In 2018, she was crowned as Binibining Pilipinas-International and was sent to the Miss International pageant in Japan where she was proclaimed as first runner-up.
Find more Miss Universe Philippines 2025 here!
Dramatic fall
Manalo, a former Binibining Pilipinas titleholder, has been among the pageant’s top favorites, impressing both in preliminary segments and in her evening gown presentation despite her dramatic fall.
During her performance, Manalo was a masterclass in poise and grace under pressure when she slipped and fell onstage during the evening gown event — only to rise, smile, and win the crowd’s admiration.
The 26-year-old beauty queen and entrepreneur was wearing a shimmering pink, bead-encrusted gown when she lost her balance on the slippery stage floor at the Mall of Asia Arena. Photos captured the sequence: Manalo initially on her hands and knees, then bracing herself, and finally rising with a composed smile as she resumed her walk.
The audience erupted in cheers as Manalo stood tall and confidently finished her turn onstage. Online, fans quickly hailed her recovery as the mark of a true queen, with clips and images flooding social media platforms.
“Madadapa pero babangon,” Just a Random Guy posted on X. Slipping is human, rising gracefully is queen behavior,” one fan posted on X (formerly Twitter). Others called her a “true contender” and praised her resilience and professionalism, noting that stage mishaps can rattle even seasoned competitors.
The celebration of the Miss Universe Philippines 2025 was made even more special with the presence of reigning Miss Universe Victoria Kjær Theilvig, who was joined by the continental queens–Miss Universe Asia Chelsea Manalo, Miss Universe Africa and Oceania Chidimma Adetshina, Miss Universe Americas Tatiana Calmell, and Miss Universe Europe and Middle East Matilda Wirtavuori.
As Miss Universe Philippines 2025, Ahtisa Manalo bears the responsibility of representing the country in the 74th Miss Universe pageant in Thailand in November.
To date, four Filipino women have brought home the Miss Universe crown–Gloria Diaz in 1969, Margie Moran in 1973, Pia Wurtzbach in 2015, and Catriona Gray in 2018.
