Who Is Ahtisa Manalo? 10 Things to Know About Miss Universe Philippines 2025

Did you know that she almost became a police officer?

Published on May 3, 2025

We have a new queen! Ahtisa Manalo reigned supreme in this year’s edition of Miss Universe Philippines, besting 65 other candidates to clinch the coveted crown. She’s now set to represent the country at the 74th Miss Universe competition, but before she flies off to Pak Kret, Thailand for the November 21 pageant, let’s get to know our newly minted titleholder.

Who Is Ahtisa Manalo?

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INSTAGRAM/ahtisa.

1. She’s a Gemini

Maria Ahtisa Manalo was born on May 25, 1997 in the province of Candelaria Quezon. She’s of multinational descent as her mother is Filipino-Spanish while her estranged father is Swedish-Finnish.

2. This is her third attempt at the MUPH crown

Ahtisa is the living embodiment of the idiom "third time’s the charm." Her first try at the coveted national crown was back in 2018 when she vied for Binibining Pilipinas, which eventually went to Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray. Ahtisa still took home the Binibining Pilipinas International title that year and came first runner-up at the Miss International Pageant. She tried again a second time in 2024 and was crowned Miss Cosmo instead before going on to place in the top 10 of the pageant’s international stage.

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INSTAGRAM/ahtisa.

3. She has an Accountancy degree

"Ever since I was in school…I managed early the stocks of my cousins,” said the beauty queen in an interview with Pep.ph. From a young age, Ahtisa knew she wanted to venture into business, which led her to take up Accountancy at Enverga University.

4. She’s a businesswoman

It’s pretty obvious by now that when Ahtisa dreams of something, she’s determined to make it happen. By the age of twenty she’d already started up two cafes in Australia named Cafe Noun and Call Me Harris. She also brought the Australian yogurt drink brand Koomi to the Philippines with her business partner Mike Hilton.

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INSTAGRAM/ahtisa.

5. She’s a certified gamer

When she’s not running her businesses or conquering pageants, Ahtisa’s playing video games. In her introduction video for Miss Universe Philippines, she mentioned playing Hogwarts Legacy for three days straight, “halos walang tulog, walang kain, walang ligo.”

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6. She's close with her grandmother

In her answer during the final Q&A segment of Miss Universe Philippines 2025, Ahtisa revealed that winning the crown was a dream she shared with her late grandmother. Her pageant run, she said, is an ode to her lola who helped put her through school but sadly passed away early this year.

During Miss Universe Philippines 2024, Ahtisa also mentioned her grandma as part of her answer in the Q&A session. She shared, “The biggest lesson I have learned from her is to always be kind. She is someone who has a big heart and took care of me since I was a kid. And I do think my grandmother is someone that I can look up to. She is someone that is an embodiment of what a great woman is.”

7. She’s an LGBTQIA+ advocate

As a staunch ally, Ahtisa has continuously advocated for the LGBTQIA+ community and gender equality. “I really try to speak about it, I call [out] someone who is being homophobic," she said in an interview with GMA News. Ahtisa’s support for the community is rooted in love and loyalty for her queer family members, mentors, friends, and supporters.

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INSTAGRAM/ahtisa.

8. She almost became a police officer

Ahtisa’s life could’ve gone a completely different route. Before joining Binibining Pilipinas in 2018, she had actually applied for the Philippine National Police Academy seeing as some of her relatives work in law enforcement too. “My uncles, also my grandfather, are part of the police force. I wanted to make a difference, I wanted to explore everything that I can, cause I know I want to do a lot and that's one of it," she explained.

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9. One of her favorite movies is “Mulan”

She mentioned her love for the Disney film in an Instagram post where she even quoted her favorite line: "The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all."

10. She’s on Instagram

Get to know more about our new Miss Universe bet by following her personal Instagram @ahtisa.

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INSTAGRAM/ahtisa.