Ahtisa Manalo returned to the Miss Universe Philippines stage year to win. On May 2, at the Miss Universe Philippines 2025 Coronation Night held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, she claimed the crown, representing her home province of Quezon and rising above 65 other contenders.
Like several of the crowned queens before her, Manalo is a fierce advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and gender equality. “I’m really strong when it comes to gender equality, when it comes to LGBT community, I really try to speak about it,” said Manalo in an interview with GMA. “I have family members who are gay, and I have a lot of friends who are gay also…I’m surrounded by gay people and the LGBT community.” Manalo also strongly supports gender equality and youth development, and has worked with non-profit organization Alon Akademie to teach young people necessary social skills and entrepreneurial education.
Manalo follows in the footsteps of winners such as Catriona Gray, who took home the crown in 2018. Gray has long been a staunch supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, using her platform to remind her followers to stand for equal rights and foster allyship. “The misconception that LGBTQ issues only matter to those who identify as LGBTQ is a damaging one,” Gray wrote on Instagram in 2020. That’s why ally voices are so important. We need to stand up and say that this is not just about the LGBTQ community. It’s about all of us.”
Similarly, 2015 Miss Universe Philippines winner Pia Wurtzbach has frequently voiced solidarity with the community. In 2017, the pageant queen penned an opinion piece for Time Magazine titled “Why I Stand Up for LGBTQ Rights in the Philippines.” In it, Wurtzbach underscored the importance of acceptance and equality, even in a predominantly conservative society. “I myself owe a lot to the LGBTQ community, many of whom are my closest friends,” wrote Wurtzbach. “Without their accepting attitudes toward my own flaws and struggles, I would not be where I am today.”
What’s next for Ahtisa?
While Manalo has some time before she needs to take to the pageant stage again, she will be representing the Philippines at the Miss Universe pageant in Thailand on November 21. If Manalo takes home the crown later this year, she will enter a small but elite group of Filipina women who’ve earned the title of Miss Universe. Included in that group are Wurtzbach and Gray, alongside Gloria Diaz and Margie Moran.
As Manalo prepares for Miss Universe, she carries forward not just a legacy of beauty and grace, but also one of allyship and advocacy. Like several of the queens before her, Manalo’s openness about supporting the LGBTQ+ community reflects the growing social awareness within the Miss Universe Philippines platform. While the competition ahead is tough, her stance on inclusion adds another layer of meaning to her journey — and continues a quiet but clear tradition of using the crown to stand for something more.
