After her victory in the recently concluded Miss Universe Philippines coronation night on Friday, Ahtisa Manalo received an outpouring of love and support from friends and loved ones who had rooted for her to win the coveted crown.
Among those celebrating her win were her fellow Binibining Pilipinas queens, Manalo was first crowned and later represented the Philippines in Miss International 2018, placing as first runner-up. One of her batchmates from that year is former Miss Universe Catriona Gray.
On social media, Gray reposted a photo of Manalo wearing the Miss Universe Philippines crown, captioned:
"So proud of our bunso from BBP 2018! 🥹 Proof that you should never ever give up on your dreams! So proud of you, Ahtisa!!! 👏 Let’s goooo @MissUniverse #MissUniversePhilippines2025"
Manalo and Gray were part of the same batch in Binibining Pilipinas, both representing the Philippines on the international stage.
During the Miss Universe Philippines pageant, Manalo stood out among 65 candidates with her winning answer in the final Q&A segment. She was asked:
“Tell us about one event in your life when you led by example and the impact it made.”
Manalo responded gracefully, referencing her stumble onstage during the evening gown competition:
"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. 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 because this is mine and my grandmother's shared dream. She passed away early this year, and this is my ode to her."
Manalo is set to represent the Philippines at the Miss Universe pageant this November in Bangkok, Thailand—the same city where the country last won the title with its fourth Miss Universe crown.