Ahtisa Manalo receives hometown praise from Quezon officials after Miss Universe 2025 stint

Ahtisa Manalo received an outpouring of support from her kababayans from Quezon Province following her finish as 3rd Runner-up at Miss Universe 2025.

On Facebook, officials from the province shared their pride and congratulations for the Philippine bet.

Quezon Governor Helen Tan said that Ahtisa is “Still our Miss Universe!”

“Your 18-year journey is a testament to your courage, determination, and the heart that fuels your advocacy. The whole Quezon province is so proud of you! Mabuhay ka, Ahtisa!” she said.

Candelaria Mayor George Suayan echoed the sentiment, saying the town is filled with pride and joy for her achievement.

“Ipinakita mo sa mundo ang ganda at puso ng isang tunay na Candelariahin! Mula sa inyong lingkod, maraming salamat sa inyong suporta, at lubos ka naming ipinagmamalaki,” he said.

Quezon 2nd District Representative David Suarez also congratulated Ahtisa.

“Dinala mo ang bandila ng Pilipinas nang may dangal, galing, at pusong tunay na Pilipino. Higit pa sa korona, naging liwanag ka ng pag-asa. Pinatunayan mo na kapag may sapat na sipag, tibay ng loob, at paniniwala sa sarili, walang entablado sa mundo na hindi maabot ng isang batang Quezonian,” he said.

During the coronation night held at the Impact Muong Thong Thani Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, Athisa stunned in her white two-piece during the swimsuit portion, and an elegant silver piece during the evening gown portion.

For the final question and answer portion, Ahtisa and the other Top 5 candidates were asked, “If you win the title of Miss Universe tonight, how would you use this platform to empower young girls?"

Ahtisa answered, “I work with an organization called Alon Akademie where we work with young people to provide them opportunities to make them realize that it doesn’t matter what your life circumstances is, it doesn’t define where you will go. And I want to continue working with Alon Academy in a platform like Miss Universe to pursue making sure that people from low-income backgrounds are given the same opportunities like everyone else.”

Earlier this week, Ahtisa made waves with her fiesta-themed national costume and Philippine Pearl-inspired evening gown during the preliminary competition.

Meanwhile, Mexico's Fátima Bosch was crowned Miss Universe 2025. 

—Carby Rose Basina/CDC, GMA Integrated News