Ahtisa Manalo was every inch the Filipina beauty queen who’s unshakeably proud to carry the country on her shoulders. Representing the Philippines with brilliance, she finished as third runner-up at the 74th Miss Universe (MU) held in Nonthaburi, Thailand on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025.
This marks the country’s highest placement since Cebuana queen Beatrice Luigi Gomez reached the Top 5 in MU 2021. What follows is a look back at Ahtisa’s standout performances from the preliminaries to coronation night.
Preliminary competition
Ahtisa made an early impact, delivering polished performances in both the National Costume and Swimsuit segments.
Her national costume, designed by Mak Tumang, featured a classic traje de mestiza rendered in hand-embroidered piña and inspired by iconic Filipino festivals such as the Giant Lantern Festival, Pahiyas and Panagbenga. The look paid homage to María Clara, celebrating heritage and Filipina grace.
“In every step, I become the living festival of the Philippines — carrying the brilliance of a thousand lanterns, the warmth of Filipino hospitality and the timeless grace of María Clara onto the Miss Universe stage,” she wrote in an Instagram post.
Ahtisa also captivated audiences in another Tumang creation called Pinctada, a deep-sea–inspired evening gown referencing Pinctada maxima. Draped in midnight blue and gilded with gold, the gown shimmered like pearls and featured sunburst rays reminiscent of the MU crown. The pageant’s current crown, Light of Infinity, crafted by the Philippine luxury brand Jewelmer, made its debut in the previous edition.
For the Swimsuit prelims, she wore a bright blue bikini, her beach-wave curls adding movement as she glided across the Bangkok stage on Wednesday, Nov. 19.
Coronation night
Ahtisa opened the night with infectious energy, stepping onto the stage in a shimmering lavender two-piece set, a structured crop top paired with a flared mini skirt that sparkled under the lights. With 120 candidates representing countries across the globe, she stood out with her poise.
Swimsuit and evening gown
As the Top 30 contestants returned in their swimsuits, Ahtisa took the stage in a white two-piece accented with dangling gold floral hardware and a tied hip detail. Her bright smile and confident stride earned a strong audience reaction.
For the evening gown round, Ahtisa wore her hair in a clean and high updo and stunned in a Val Taguba creation. A sculpted white gown that appeared almost ethereal made her shine the most. The dress was fully embellished with intricate beadwork arranged in radiating sunburst patterns, complemented by translucent fabric billowing from the sides and back. The design flowed like smoke or sea foam, creating movement that felt both modern and celestial.
Q and A portion
Ahtisa delivered thoughtful and heartfelt answers during the question-and-answer portions, solidifying her place among the night’s strongest contenders. When Minnie Baloyi asked,
“As a global ambassador or citizen, what will be your contribution to humanity?” Ahtisa spoke with striking honesty and vulnerability.
“I want to be the hope of people,” she began. “I come from a very poor background. I started pageants at 10 years old to put myself through school and to lift my family out of poverty. And if there’s anything that I want to show the universe, it’s that I’m here right now — standing as Miss Universe — because I was able to get myself out of any situation through hard work, persistence and the courage to fight for what I want.”
For the final question, she was asked: “If you win the title of Miss Universe tonight, how would you use this platform to empower young girls?”
Ahtisa highlighted her advocacy with Alon Akademie, saying, “I work with an organization called Alon Akademie where we work with young people to provide them opportunities to make them realize that it doesn’t matter what your life circumstances is, it doesn’t define where you will go. And I want to continue working with Alon Academy in a platform like Miss Universe to pursue making sure that people from low-income backgrounds are given the same opportunities like everyone else.”
Despite her strong performance, the crown ultimately went to Fatima Bosch of Mexico. Praveenar Singh of Thailand finished as first runner-up, followed by Stephany Abasali of Venezuela, Ahtisa of the Philippines and Olivia Yacé of Côte d’Ivoire.