In May 2025, Ma. Ahtisa Manalo, a 27-year-old model and businesswoman from Quezon Province, was crowned Miss Universe Philippines (MUPH) at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. The country now celebrates the reign of a new queen!
Ahtisa stood out among 65 candidates from across the Philippines and around the world to win the coveted crown. It was a back-to-back “Manalo” victory, as she succeeded Chelsea Manalo of Bulacan, last year’s titleholder.
Before she dives into preparations to represent the Philippines at the Miss Universe 2025 pageant in Thailand this November, let’s get to know her better!
Good News Pilipinas brings you five personal things about the newly crowned Miss Universe Philippines.
She’s Not Your Typical Pinay Mestiza
While many define “mestizo” or “mestiza” as someone with 50/50 Filipino and foreign (often European) ancestry, Ahtisa Manalo’s heritage is even more diverse. She is the daughter of a Filipino-Spanish mother and a Finnish-Swedish father, giving her a unique blend of four lineages.
This makes Ahtisa not just a typical mestiza but technically a “castiza” (or castizo for males) — a term from old Spanish racial classifications, referring to someone who is approximately ¾ European and ¼ indigenous in ancestry.
But behind her striking looks, universal beauty, and impressive lineage lies a deeply personal story.
Ahtisa shared that she has never met her father. Though they communicate from time to time, she admitted that they do not have an established father-daughter relationship.
“We speak occasionally, but we don’t have a relationship. He’s Finnish. I think it affected me growing up — not knowing my self-worth or always feeling like I wasn’t enough, or that I was the reason he left or didn’t come back,” she admitted during the Miss Universe Philippines 2025 Preliminary Interview.
Despite the emotional challenges, Ahtisa spoke with grace and honesty about her growth:
“Up until now, there are still moments where I feel like it affects me. But now that I’m an adult and I’ve worked on how I feel, it’s much better. I’ve sorted it out.”
Her Name Carries a Nordic Legacy
The newly crowned Miss Universe Philippines revealed that her unique name has roots in her Finnish-Swedish heritage, a tribute to her biological father.
In an interview following her coronation, Ahtisa shared the origin of her name:
“My father’s name is Ahti. It’s actually supposed to be pronounced ‘Ah-tee-sah.’ My biological father is Finnish, and his name is Ahti,” she explained, noting that the “h” in Finnish has a guttural sound similar to the German “ch.”
(Fun fact: In Scandinavian mythology, Ahti is known as a water god.)
“My mom added ‘-sa’ to make it sound more feminine,” Ahtisa revealed.
Pageantry Runs in Her Blood
While many first noticed Ahtisa Manalo in 2018 when she competed in Binibining Pilipinas alongside Catriona Gray, her journey in pageantry began much earlier, back when she was just a Grade 4 student.
RELIVE the winning moment of Catriona Gray in Miss Universe 2018 here.
Joining beauty contests became her way of supporting her education and helping her family, using pageantry not just as a passion, but a purpose.
In 2016, Ahtisa was crowned Queen of Niyugyugan Festival, and in 2017, she represented Quezon Province in the Aliwan Fiesta, where she earned the Second Runner-Up title.
Her big break came in 2018 when she won Binibining Pilipinas International and went on to represent the Philippines in Miss International in Japan, where she finished as First Runner-up.
REVISIT Ahtisa Manalo’s victory in Japan as Miss International 2018 First Runner-up here.
Determined and resilient, Ahtisa continued her pageant journey. In 2024, she competed in Miss Universe Philippines and finished as Second Runner-Up. She then represented the country in the inaugural Miss Cosmo pageant in Vietnam, making it to the Top 10.
Now, on her third attempt, Ahtisa has finally claimed the crown, becoming the Miss Universe Philippines 2025.
“I started my pageant journey at 10 years old to put myself through school, to help my family. And I feel like, if I become Miss Universe, it will be a great culmination of my 17-year pageant journey,” she shared during the Miss Universe Philippines 2025 Preliminary Interview.
“It would be a good representation of going for your dreams. It doesn’t matter what other people say — na paulit-ulit ka na (that you keep doing it over and over). It will show everyone that as long as you work hard, as long as you persevere, it doesn’t matter where you come from. It doesn’t matter if you’re poor — you can become Miss Universe.”
She’s a Certified Lola’s Girl
Ahtisa Manalo proudly calls herself a lola’s girl, having been raised by her late grandmother who played a pivotal role in shaping the woman she is today.
Her deep bond with her lola has been evident throughout her pageant journey — she even mentioned her twice during the question-and-answer segments of the Miss Universe Philippines competition: once in 2024, and again during her victorious moment on May 2, 2025.
In her latest Q&A, Ahtisa shared that winning the crown was not just her dream — it was a dream she shared with her grandmother.
In her post-crowning interview, Ahtisa tearfully expressed her gratitude and love for the woman who raised her.
“I feel like through my heart — if that makes sense — I speak to her a lot. A lot of who I am is because of her, because of how she raised me,” she said, holding back tears.
“More than anything, I’m grateful. Even though she has passed from this world, she is still with me and continues to push me toward my dreams. I’ll forever remember her. Forever, she’ll be in my heart.”
She Stays Humble and Grounded
Despite her many achievements in both business and pageantry, Ahtisa Manalo remains humble and grounded — a trait she credits to the support system that surrounds her.
She acknowledges the vital role her family and close friends play in keeping her rooted in who she truly is:
“It’s really about the people who surround me. They remind me that beyond this crown, I’m still Ahtisa,” she shared.
“We’re still the same people we were before the title. This crown is just an added responsibility — an added audience — but at our core, we remain the same.”
Ahtisa’s humility and self-awareness shine through, making her not only a beauty queen but also a role model for staying true to oneself.
Now that the Miss Universe Philippines 2025 competition has come to a close and the dust has begun to settle, Ahtisa Manalo is set to shift her focus toward the global stage. She will soon begin planning her campaign to represent the Philippines in Thailand, with hopes of bringing home the country’s fifth Miss Universe crown.
Join our vibrant Good News Pilipinas community, where we celebrate the achievements of the Philippines and Filipinos worldwide! As the Philippines’ No. 1 Website for Good News and proud winners of the Gold Anvil Award and Lasallian Scholarum Award, we invite you to connect, engage, and share your inspiring stories with us. Together, let’s shine a spotlight on the stories that make every Filipino proud. Follow us on all platforms through our LinkTree. Let’s spread good news and positivity, one story at a time!
