Ahtisa Manalo departs for Thailand to represent the Philippines at Miss Universe 2025. Photo from Miss Universe Philippines' Instagram account
MANILA (UPDATE) — Ahtisa Manalo departed the Philippines on Sunday for Thailand to represent the country at Miss Universe 2025, drawing a crowd of supporters who are hopeful she will bring home the nation's fifth crown in the international pageant.
Clad in a white outfit, the 28-year-old beauty queen arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1, where she was greeted by excited fans waving Philippine flags and holding photos of her face.
Videos of her departure were shared on the Miss Universe Philippines' social media pages.
In one of the clips, the crowd can be heard cheering: "Sino'ng mananalo? Ahtisa Manalo."
(Who's going to win? Ahtisa Manalo.)
In an interview, Manalo said she and her team were "prepared very well" for the pageant.
"Every step of the way, we have everything planned — mula accessories to bags," Manalo said.
"Everyone can just expect that I’ll do my best to bring home the fifth crown for the Philippines," she added.
Manalo said she did not change anything about herself or her style.
"I just think I improved everything I could improve," she said.
In the afternoon, Miss Universe Philippines shared another video of Manalo as she "touches down in Bangkok" in a different outfit while wearing a sash.
Manalo recently highlighted the country's rich culture, including its festival and tourist destinations, in a tourism video produced for the pageant.
The 74th edition of Miss Universe will be held in Thailand on November 21. It will air and stream across multiple ABS-CBN platforms at 9 a.m., inlcuding Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, Metro Channel and iWant.
Manalo will attempt to bring home the Philippines' fifth Miss Universe crown, following the victories of Gloria Diaz (1969), Margarita Moran (1973), Pia Wurtzbach (2015) and Catriona Gray (2018). — With a report from Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News
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