PH Rep Ahtisa Manalo bags 2nd place in Ms. International 2018 pageant

FILE: “If I become Miss International, I will continue to be the voice of the youth in showing that nothing is impossible with hard work and determination.” – Ahtisa Manalo, Miss International 2018 First Runner-Up (Photo: Miss International Beauty Pageant/Facebook)

Twenty-year-old Ahtisa Manalo may not have gotten the top crown, but the roar of the Philippine crowd resonated at the Tokyo Dome City Hall as the beauty queen wearing the country’s sash received first-runner up for Miss International 2018.

Ahtisa stunned everyone in the national costume portion of the pageant, as she graced a sparkly, multi-colored, feather dress while playing with fans as accessory. For the evening gown segment, she strutted in a cream-colored crystal and fringe number by Michael Cinco.

After the announcement of the top 8, Ahtisa was able to deliver her speech expressing her desire for the crown stating, “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.” She adds, “If I become Miss International, I will continue to be the voice of the youth in showing that nothing is impossible with hard work and determination.”

After the announcement of winners, Ahtisa took to Instagram to post a photo of her sash and her mini crown against a Philippine flag, captioning it in mix of Filipino and English, “Philippines, my love, I gave everything for you, absolutely everything. Philippines, you were my motivation every step of the way.”

Mariem Velazco representing Valenzuela won the Miss International 2018 title on her birthday. She was crowned by her predecessor, Kevin Lilliana of Indonesia. Other than Ahtisa, the runners-up included Miss South Africa Reabetswe Rambi Sechoaro at second runner-up, Miss Romania Bianca Tirsin at third runner-up, and Miss Colombia Anabella Castro at fourth runner-up. Miss Singapore, Miss Argentina, Miss Netherlands, Miss South Africa, and Miss Guam also won the Miss International Asia, Miss International America, Miss International Europe, Miss International Africa, and Miss International Oceania special awards respectively. The last time the Philippines won Miss International was in 2016 by Kylie Verzosa.