The Complete Transcript of the Miss Universe Philippines 2025 Q&A

For the sixth installment of Miss Universe Philippines, 66 candidates vied for the crown in hopes of succeeding Chelsea Manalo, who was the reigning Miss Universe Asia 2024. All beauty queens competed with poise and grace throughout the pageant, but only six of them got to display their wit and intelligence in the much awaited Question and Answer portion. The aspirants hailing from Sultan Kudarat, Siniloan (Laguna), Muntinlupa, Taguig, Cebu City, and Quezon Province answered the selection committee’s individual questions, and it was Ma. Ahtisa Manalo of Quezon Province who rose above all!

Ahtisa will be representing the Philippines in Miss Universe 2025 on November 21 at the Impact Muong Thong Thani Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. She is set to compete for what could be the Philippines’ fifth Miss Universe crown. Read her winning answer below!

ANSWER: In our generation, youth has a strong personality. They have the power to choose and vote for the right leaders. That's why tonight, I would like to encourage our youth to be wise in selecting our leaders. Because when we are very wise about this, we can reach the tip of the universe, and the Philippines would definitely be progressive and productive as well.

QUESTION: If you were to be the governor or the mayor of the local government you are representing now, what would be the single, most significant project that you would wish to accomplish and why?

ANSWER: I have always known myself to be a committed advocate of education, and I would definitely promote education empowerment across all genders in our municipality because we all understand that education is the key to open multiple doors of opportunities, the power that no one can ever take away from us, and the solution to feel more empowered and transformed.

QUESTION: On May 12, 2025, our general elections will be held and we will be choosing our leaders. In your opinion, what is the most essential quality that we should look for in leaders? Why?

ANSWER: We should look for someone who has integrity, someone who [puts] people's welfare first before their own political wants and own needs. We should have a leader that is not politics-as-usual, but someone who will always put other people's wants and needs [first].

QUESTION: Women in Philippine politics are still a minority, and here in Miss Universe Philippines, we talk about women empowerment. How will you help empower women and encourage them to participate in politics?

ANSWER: Women today deserve a seat [at the] table. This time, babae naman. We are at par with men. We are trailblazers, we are leaders, and I think women are definitely a power—a force in the universe.

QUESTION: Just like our public officials, a beauty queen is a public figure whose life is under constant scrutiny. As a beauty queen, how do you maintain your authenticity amidst the expectations of the public?

ANSWER: As I've gotten older, I've learned that the most important thing is the posture of your heart. You have to ask yourself, am I putting out the best version of myself into the world? And is that something that is helping other people? I don't think there's a reason that we have to live on this earth if we're not impacting people positively, and so I hope all of us can move forward, take people next to us, and move to a better place in our society. Because as Filipinos, we can place love above all.

ANSWER: 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 my and my grandmother's shared dream, and she passed away early this year. And this is my ode to her.