The beuaty queen will be raising the country’s flag on the global stage.
On Sunday, November 2, Miss Universe Philippines Ahtisa Manalo was given a warm send-off by Filipino pageant fans at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 in Parañaque City.
This happened as the 28-year-old pageant veteran is once again representing the country, this time at the upcoming 74th Miss Universe pageant in Bangkok, Thailand on November 21.
In a short message on her Instagram account, Manalo wrote, “Thank you for the beautiful send-off, Philippines!”
Hours later, she arrived in the host country, where she also flew in around the same time as other candidates.
Immediately, she, alongside other delegates, were brought to their pre-pageant interview, which is the precursor to the weeks-long competition.
Manalo, a three-time national representative, will vie for the country’s next Miss Universe crown, which was last won by Catriona Gray in 2018.
She will be battling it out against over 120 other contestants around the world in this edition.
The beauty queen is not a stranger to the international pageant scene, as she first represented the Philippines to the Miss International 2018 and brought home the distinction of being the first runner-up.
After six years, Ahtisa returned to the world of pageant when she joined Miss Universe Philippines 2024 and placed 2nd runner-up.
She was then appointed as the first Miss Cosmo Philippines and competed in Vietnam that same year, where she ended her stint with a Top 10 finish.