Ahtisa Manalo

Maria Ahtisa Manalo is a Filipino beauty pageant titleholder. She was previously crowned Binibining Pilipinas International 2018 and represented the Philippines at the Miss International 2018 competition where she finished first runner-up.

Representing Quezon, Manalo competed at the Miss Universe Philippines 2024 pageant and finished as the second runner-up. Following her finish, she was appointed to represent the country at the Miss Cosmo 2024 pageant.

Early life and education
Manalo was born in Candelaria, Quezon, and is of Finnish and Filipina heritage. She attended the Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation and graduated with a degree in accountancy.

Binibining Pilipinas 2018
Manalo won Binibining Pilipinas 2018, held on March 18, 2018, at the Araneta Coliseum. While not viewed as a frontrunner throughout the run-up to the pageant, she garnered media attention after her performance at the pageant's press presentation, to which Rappler noted was "her peak". During the final question and answer round, she was asked: "How should a beauty queen respond to ruthless criticism?" Manalo responded:

"A beauty queen should always respond to criticism constructively. We beauty queens are public figures, and we put ourselves in the position to be judged. But nonetheless, we should always.. we should always filter which... which comments we should accept and what we should not."

At the end of the pageant, Manalo was crowned Binibining Pilipinas International 2018 by outgoing titleholder Maria Angelica de Leon. At age 20, Manalo was the youngest winner that edition.

Miss International 2018
Winning the title of Binibining Pilipinas International 2018 made Manalo the country's delegate to the Miss International 2018 pageant, held at the Tokyo Dome City Hall on November 9, 2018. In the run-up to the competition, Manalo was identified as a favorite to win the contest from her performance during the pre-pageant activities.

At the coronation night, Manalo competed with a gown by Filipino designer Michael Cinco. During the top eight final speech, Manalo emphasized her eagerness to lead despite her youth, and vowed to continue being "the voice of the youth in showing that nothing is impossible with hard work and determination".

"Miss International is a celebration of youth and empowerment. I've always believed that age is not a barrier to reach our dreams or to have an impact on others. At 15, I started to help programs in my community for street children. At 19, I graduated college. At 20, I realized that I can speak for good causes to a wider audience that's why I joined our national pageant.If I become Miss International, I would continue being the voice of the youth, in showing that nothing is impossible with hardwork and determination. And with these beautiful ladies with me tonight, a family of beauty queens [who are] all beautiful young dreamers and achievers, we will show the world that it is love, peace, and beauty that we truly care about. And together, we shall make a difference."

At the end of the event, Manalo finished as first runner-up to Mariem Velazco of Venezuela. At the end of her reign as Binibining Pilipinas International, Manalo crowned Bea Magtanong as her successor at the Binibining Pilipinas 2019 pageant.

Miss Universe Philippines 2024
Following the Miss International pageant, Manalo has been identified as a potential candidate for future national pageants. On January 31, 2020, she filed her application for the Miss Universe Philippines 2020 pageant, however, she would shortly withdraw the application due to medical issues. Her withdrawal prompted accusations of her staging a publicity stunt, though, she has clarified that she filed the application as late as possible as she was unsure of her decision to compete.

On January 27, 2024, the Miss Universe Philippines Quezon Province pageant announced that Manalo would represent the province at Miss Universe Philippines 2024. In the run-up to the pageant, Manalo was seen as the "heavy favorite" to win the contest. At the preliminary competition, Manalo won eight special awards from the pageant's sponsors, the most of any contestants that year.

At the coronation night, Manalo competed with a gown designed by Cinco. She would advance to the top five, where she was asked "Women learn from each other. What is the biggest lesson that you’ve learned from another woman?". She responded:

"My grandmother put me through school, and the biggest lesson I learned from her is to always be kind. She is someone who has a big heart and has taken care of me since I was a kid. And I do think my grandmother is someone that I can look I do. She is someone that is an embodiment of what a great woman is."

Towards the end of the event, Manalo was announced as the second runner-up to Chelsea Manalo of Bulacan, who was crowned the winner. Following the coronation, Manalo was appointed Miss Cosmo Philippines 2024. Online, Manalo's finish was an upgrade to her first runner-up finish at Miss International 2018. In response, Manalo confirmed that she chose the title, citing her experiences in the startup industry and her love for "being part of making something out of nothing".

Miss Cosmo 2024
Manalo will represent the Philippines at the Miss Cosmo 2024 pageant.

Advocacies and platforms
Manalo is an LGBTQ advocate. An entrepreneur, Manalo works with the Alon Akademie organization, which focuses on enriching the "global citizenship, social skills, and entrepreneurial mindset" of children.

Ahtisa focused on promoting education and empowering women, particularly in the Philippines. She also traveled to several countries to participate in charity events and humanitarian missions.

Personal life
In an interview with the Philippine Entertainment Portal on August 17, 2019, following her reign as Binibining Pilipinas International, Manalo stated that she has been running two cafés in Australia—Cafe Noun and Call Me Harris. Manalo also played a role in the creation and expansion of food brands such as Koomi, Oh My Greek, and Zig Foods.